Azure Keyblades: Distorted Dream
by Atlas Ultima
Summary: After saving his world from an eternal struggle, Ragna finds himself not only alive again, but in a whole new world darker than his. There, he meets a woman named Aqua who has been stuck there for years. Wanting to know more about the world around him, he agrees to help her as the two faces whatever creatures hide in the dark. (AU, for those who were curious)
1. A Fool Who Knew Too Late

**Hello, fellow readers! As you read the title, you question as to why? Basically, I made this to apologize. Why now? Well...**

 **I realized that views don't matter if there are readers who want to enjoy a story be turned away by first impressions. Let me explain:**

 **1\. I made the first preview on a spur of the moment, as I usually do on new ideas. I learned to control this habit by focusing on one series at a time, by force if I have to, but it doesn't affect my love of writing. I want to continue this series to... well, prove myself that I can write compelling arcs with believable development.**

 **2\. Kingdom Hearts was one of the first games I played that sparked my love for crossovers. I remembered when I first played this, powering through until a certain boss told me I had to give back a heart to proceed. No joke, I tried so many times to defeat him that I came to the conclusion that he was the FINAL boss and figured I seen everything, skipping ahead to the sequel. Yes, I jumped to 2 instead of COM... I was so confused. Anyways, long story short, I learned the hard way to go in order.**

 **3\. As to why I chose Blazblue for this, I honestly thought it would be funny to take two confusing stories and make them one that makes sense... that's all I got. Don't get me wrong, I like story in fighting games as it makes me invested in the characters (Ex. Soul Calibur), but they could have made it less head-scratching. A friend of mine told me about some of the plot points in the games and I compared it to Kingdom Hearts, which led to this.**

 **4\. Once I made the preview, I went off for awhile. To sum it up, I was more of a daydreamer back then. I think of the ideas, write it down, and that's that. But, as I explain next chapter, my interest ignited once more and here we are.**

 **Anyways, if you had read this chapter before and willingly kept going, I greatly appreciate your support. But, if you had read and went back, I understand. My writing then and my writing now is different, changed through time as this story reached into another. You'll notice some things I still did, such as shouting out moves, but they dwindled.**

 **So, thanks for reading this and again, I apologize for my ignorance. Please, if you were turned away before, I would like for you to read the proper story before deciding.**

 **For now, see ya later!**


	2. Preview: A New Life

**Hey, readers! Sorry about the long wait, but I became busy and a daydreamer, so that was a problem. Anyways, I know I already put up a preview for this story, but it's actually misleading at this point since I changed the starting point of this story. The rules I have for this story will be in the first chapter when it comes out. The chapter will be out as soon as I finish it, thanks for waiting. Anyways, let's get started!**

 **Preview: A New Life**

A void, a plain of existence that no living soul has ever been, was silent for so long until a step was heard. It echoed, followed by another step... and another... and another... as a being, not human or animal, entered the void. The being was cloaked in a dark cape with a hood that hides its face as it walked.

"This place is undisturbed... yet I sense something." The being said aloud as it looked around, "A soul. A very powerful soul."

After it said those words, a glow came from above. The being looked up to see a orb float ever so slowly down like snow. The glow only glowed brighter as the being held out its hands to catch it.

"I knew it. This soul, able to appear in a void that has no existence in it until now. Why? What story do you have to tell me?" The being said to the soul.

In response, the soul glowed brighter until it became blinding. Once it went down, the being saw them, the memories of the soul. It followed a man, a rather interesting man who had spiky white hair that looked like it was defying gravity, a pair of eyes that contrast with two different colors, a eye catching red coat and a rather large sword held on the back of his waist. The memories showed what he saw, as it was like his experiences were made into film. From the silly antics with the friends he made to the fierce battles he endured, the man was quite an amazing sight to see. When the memories faded, the soul sat there as the being stood there in silence for a long moment until it spoke.

"This man has faced so many hardships, even sacrificing his own happiness and being to protect those around him... yet desired no reward for any of it." The being spoke to itself as it looked at the soul.

It then decided, the being teleported with the soul in tow to another plain of existence way different than the void from earlier.

The new place was a grassy green plain with blue skies that has clouds, one covering the bright sun to give shade down below. The being stood on a hill higher than the few that were there and had a tree resting on it, the leaves flowing on the branches as the wind blew by. The being then placed the soul down near the tree and took a couple of steps back before raising its hands again, this time to channel energy. It was only a few seconds until it fired the energy at the soul, a bright light enveloping it for a moment before fading down, revealing the soul has transformed into its physical form, the man from the memories. However, he's missing one thing...

"All we need is the sword." The being said to itself as it walked down the hill to a rather large lake with crystal clear waters. It then stood by the water and crouched down to place a hand down on the surface, giving it an image from the mind to create. After exactly a second, the sword formed a reflection in the water and it reached in. Grabbing the handle, it pulled out the sword... but its appearance was not expected. The blade was cracked in several places and had a black ribbon tied to the handle.

"How long has it been in his world?" The being wondered as it stared at the blade. The being then shrugged it off and simply waved his other hand over it, renewing the blade entirely.

The being then laid the sword next to the man before opening a portal, the man and sword falling through before closing.

"Hopefully, it transports him somewhere safe." The being said to itself.

 **Done! It's brief, but I want you guys to have a general idea of how Ragna got into the Kingdom Hearts world. As for what happened, here's the list:**

 **1\. The being is a wanderer that maintains the balance between dimensions and rarely has to transfer stray souls between dimensions through reincarnation. (Ragna being the exception to this rule)**

 **2\. The being is also capable to see through a soul's memories.**

 **3\. The grassy plains is the being's home**

 **4\. The lake is able to manifest an object in a memory and replicate its current state in that world.**

 **With that being said, thanks for reading this preview and hope you like the story!**


	3. Prologue: No Longer Alone

**Hey, people! Here with a new story, known as Azure Keyblades! Yep, here it is. Now for some ground rules:**

 **1\. This will take place after Central Fiction (Sorry about spoilers for those who haven't seen it yet, you have been warned. That is, if you care.)**

 **2\. The keyblade wielders will be having only one keychain to use. Ex: Sora=Kingdom Key.**

 **3\. The story will be following the events of the games, but altered in its own way. You'll see as we go along.**

 **4\. I was originally gonna make this take place during Birth by Sleep, but that would have been too confusing to keep up with all the pacing and which events happen before or after another event, so we'll be going with 0.2 as our starting point.**

 **So, let's get started!**

 **Prologue: No Longer Alone**

The Realm of Darkness, usually devoid of normal life and is the home of the Heartless, creatures born from darkness. However, a wanderer that holds a keyblade, a woman named Aqua, walks through this world as she finds herself trapped to save a friend. Ever since then, she has wandered endless in this realm, yet to find a way out. She always wondered how long has it been, either days or years since her time in the realm of light. She walked and walked until she sees a castle up ahead, curious to why it was familiar to her before shadows started crawling about, ready to attack.

She summons her keyblade, the Master Keeper, as she sees them to defend herself. The shadows jumped to attack, only to get hit by a single swipe, taking them out. More kept coming, swarming as she swung her keyblade to push them away. The shadows jumped her at once, only for her to quickly put up a barrier and blast them away by dispersing it for damage. A small group remained, only to be destroyed by a simple fireball. She lets out a breath as she walked towards the castle.

"Why is Cinderella's world... here in the darkness?" Aqua said to herself.

After walking for some time, she feels the ground shake as the path in front of her collapsed, revealing a new way to the castle.

"Guess I know where I'm going." She said to herself once more until she heard something.

She looks up and sees a ball of light falling from the sky and landing somewhere in the distance up ahead.

"What was that? I better check it out." She said as she traversed through the terrain ahead of her.

Running over walking speeds up traveling as she finds herself in a town in no time. While towns are usually busy and full of life, this one was deserted and quiet. But even then, the creatures stirred up to attack once more.

"Outta my way!" Aqua demanded as she jumped into action.

Summoning her keyblade, she swung at them with more aggression than before, being rid of them in seconds as she moves on ahead. As she moves through the deserted town, she has thoughts in her mind.

 _"I took it for granted. I thought I had nothing in life to lose. Here, too. Everyone in this world thought they were safe. Not just the people... the dog waiting for his owner... a cat curled up in her nook... so much life. There's no deeper sadness than discovering all that you knew is gone. The grief in this town is too much to fathom."_

She finds herself deeper in thought, only to shake it off. _"That's enough. I can't keep on wishing for the past. Right now, I need to find where that light fell."_

Next thing she knew, she finds herself in a marketplace with a crater in the center. "Found it."

She walks towards it and sees... a man. A interesting man with spiky white hair and a red coat, even though his clothes are in tatters. Next to him laid a rather large sword with a black ribbon on the hilt as he laid there unconscious. She crouched down to take a closer look and placed a hand on his forehead.

"He's real. No illusion, I'm not alone here anymore. But, where did he come from?" Aqua said to herself.

It seem that her voice woke him up as he began to stir, turning his head towards her as he was opening one eye, green in color as he sees her.

"Who... are you?" The man asked.

"My name is Aqua." Aqua answered as she removed her hand from his forehead.

"Aqua? Strange name." The man commented as he tried to sit up.

Speaking of strange, he was moving only his left arm to get up. Aqua immediately noticed this, "Do you need help?"

The man stopped moving for a moment before answering, "Sure."

Aqua then helped him sit up and also noticed his right arm was limp. "What happened to your arm?"

"I... don't remember." The man answered hesitantly.

Aqua then held his arm in her hands before using a Cure spell, "Heal!"

The man looked at her before speaking, "Wait, w-" He stopped himself, noticing his arm being covered in a green glow before fading.

"There, that should do it." Aqua said as she gently lets go of his arm.

The man looked at his arm and tried to move it, to no avail. "Just as I thought." The man said to himself.

"Wait, I thought that-" Aqua said before the man spoke, "Healing magic would work? No, this doesn't move without seithr."

Aqua blinked before asking, "What's seithr?"

The man looked at her, "You don't know what it is? What about magic?"

"That I do know, being a mage and all." Aqua said with a hint of pride.

"I see." The man said as he got up to his feet.

"Oh, I forgot to ask for your name." Aqua apologized.

The sleeve for his right arm slid down to his waist as his arm dangled there, turning around to face her before answering. "Ragna."

"Nice to meet you, Ragna." She then remembered the sword as she picked it up and handed it over to him.

However, Ragna was surprised at seeing it before taking it, mainly focusing on the black ribbon.

"You all right?" Aqua asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, fine." Ragna said as he placed the sword on the back of his belt. He then looked at his surroundings, "Do you know where we are?"

"The Realm of Darkness... the place we're in was the Castle of Dreams." Aqua answered.

Ragna took a minute to process this, "...What?"

"I don't know much about this place, but it seems it's where the dwellers of darkness reside and consumes worlds to make apart of the realm." Aqua continued.

Ragna still was processing this, "...A realm that consumes worlds?"

"Yes." Aqua simply answered.

Ragna nodded in response, "OK." He said as he brushed his hair with his working arm, _"I heard of weirder shit, so not much surprises me anymore."_

He then sees Aqua react to something and summoned a... large key? _"Never mind."_

"Look out!" She called out as she pointed behind him. Ragna looked and saw small creatures jump at him, quickly taking out his sword to swipe them away, them dispersing into black mist as more came out of hiding.

"These the creatures you mentioned?" Ragna remembered.

"Yes. Be on your guard." Aqua warned.

The two went into action, swinging away at the swarm as they tried to attack. Aqua noticed that despite his handicap, Ragna was rather skilled with his sword as his attacks was quick and strong. She fired off a Thunder attack to take out several groups at once as Ragna performed a special attack of his own on a large wave.

"Inferno Divider!" He called out as he launched into the air with the blade taking out all in the way. He landed back on the ground and placed the sword back on his belt before noticing the black mist is still around.

"Impressive swordsmanship." Aqua complimented.

"Uh, thanks. You're not so bad yourself." Ragna said back as he was more focused on the mist.

Suddenly, the mist started to surround his arm and seeps into it, causing a bit of pain for Ragna at the same time. Although it was rather small, it lasted for a bit until the mist was gone.

"What just happened?" Aqua asked.

"I guess those creatures just became fuel." Ragna said as he tried to move his arm.

It was a success as the arm was back in working order along with his right eye, returning his vision to normal. He then looks at Aqua, "What was that weapon you summoned?"

She didn't answer right away, due to the fact that she was staring at his eyes that are two different colors, red and green respectively.

Ragna noticed her reaction and crossed his arms, "Never met someone with eyes like these, right?"

"No, I haven't." She answered rather bluntly.

Ragna blinked once at her bluntness before shrugging it off, "OK. I'll ask again, what was that big key you used?"

"It's called a keyblade." Aqua answered as she crossed her arms too.

Ragna has seen some strange stuff, but all this Realm of Darkness, Castle of Dreams, dwellers of darkness, and now keyblades?

"You have a lot of explaining to do." Ragna muttered to himself.

 **Done! Here we are, after so long! Hope it's good, at least for a beginning chapter. Aqua and Ragna meeting was the main focus here, so that way the journey will be the focus for later chapters. Anyways, thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 1: The Power of Darkness

**Hey, fellow readers! Getting straight into this, let's get started!**

 **Chapter 1: The Power of Darkness**

"So, you guys are able to go to other worlds through these lanes in space?" Ragna summarized.

"The Lanes Between, yes." Aqua corrected.

"And the keyblade is a weapon you use to maintain balance in these worlds?"

"Yes."

Ragna sighs, "Such a strange place I find myself in." He mumbled.

"You say something?" Aqua repeated.

"Nope, nothing." Ragna quickly said as he walked ahead.

After a moment of silence, Aqua asked a question out of curiosity. "What kind of a world did you live in?"

Ragna was silent for a moment before answering, "It was a very... chaotic world."

"...Did your world... fall into darkness?"

"No... I made sure it didn't." Ragna muttered the last part before noticing that they were at the gate to the castle.

"Huh. Nice castle." Ragna commented.

"It's strange though. Why is it here? Did something happen in the Realm of Light?" Aqua said to herself out loud.

The two continued on the path to the castle as Ragna noticed the clock on the tower. "I thought you said time doesn't exist here." He doubted.

"It doesn't." Aqua said back.

"Then it's my imagination that it's moving." Ragna pointed out.

Aqua looked at the clock to see the hands start to move... and the ground started to shake. In front of them, the path collapsed into the abyss below as the two ran back to safety. However, the path they were on collapsed itself and started to fall. Quickly, the two jumped on the rocks to grab on what was left of the ground to the gate. Pulling themselves up, they looked back to see nothing but the abyss between them and the castle.

"No wonder time don't flow here, there would be nothing left." Ragna said as he brushed himself off.

"I don't get it, why did the road collapsed when the clock advanced?" Aqua questioned.

She brushed her hand through her hair as she turned around, seeing a series of cogs floating nearby. "Was that there before?" She asked, hoping she wasn't seeing things.

Ragna turned around to see what she sees, "No it wasn't." He answered, confused.

Aqua thinks about what had transpired, "First the road collapsed after the clock advanced, then these cogs appeared. Do you think..."

"That they are related? At this point, I'll believe anything." Ragna finished as he walked towards it.

He examined it as he scratched his head, "How do we get it going?"

Aqua summoned her keyblade, "Let me try." She said right before she hits it.

"You crazy!? You could have-" Ragna cut himself off as the cogs moved and floated into the air, disappearing as it went to the clock, which it went back an hour and part of the road repaired itself.

"You were saying?" Aqua asked with a smirk.

"You could have broke it." Ragna finished.

"But it didn't."

"How would we know that it wouldn't break!?"

Aqua shrugged as she walked off, "There has to be more around here if we need to fix the road."

Ragna sighed as he followed behind her. "She is gonna get in trouble if she keeps that mentality up."

They had to look through the entire town to activate the other cogs to fix the road. What was strange is the creatures didn't appear... at all. No disturbances, no fights, it was a ghost town. Ragna and Aqua were on edge as something was definitely off. They made back to the gate, which were closed.

"How much you wanna bet it's an ambush?" Ragna asked.

Right after he asked that, a swarm of those dark creatures flew by like a tide and stood as one huge entity.

"Not what I was expecting." Aqua said as she summoned her keyblade for battle.

The tide flew towards them, which the two jumped away to avoid. The tide flew back as Ragna launched himself towards it and swung, taking out only a couple before the rest tried to swarm him. Aqua intercepted them with a Blizzard spell, dispersing them before reassembling.

"Break them apart! They're exposed that way!" Aqua called out as she ran ahead on the offensive.

She then rapidly fired a series of Thunder spells, dealing heavy damage to the tide, causing the creatures close to the attacks to fall out, which Ragna quickly took care of as he ran by. In no time, the tide was a third of what it was earlier. The creatures then flew towards them in desperation, only for Aqua to trap them in magical chains. Quick to follow up, Ragna then unleashed the finishing blow.

"Dead Spike!"

A monstrous head of a beast came out of the ground and devoured them between its jaws before disappearing.

"That was rather underwhelming." Ragna commented on as he puts his sword on his belt.

Expecting a response from Aqua, he was curious when she didn't. Looking at her however, it was clear as to why.

She was frozen.

"Hey, you OK there?" Ragna asked.

She still didn't move, but her mind was racing. _"That attack... it couldn't have came from him. It was made from darkness, it must be another creature we haven't encountered yet. Wait, then that mist that was absorbed into his arm.. and the monster came out after he swung his blade on the ground. Does this mean..."_

"Aqua? Anyone home?" Ragna asked again, waving his hand in front of her face.

She flinched at that and in a blink of an eye, she trapped him in the chains from before.

"What the hell!?" Ragna yelled out.

"You wield darkness." Aqua said bluntly.

Ragna looked at her like she said something stupid, "OK, so what!?"

"Don't you know that the darkness will consume you!?"

"I know the risks!"

"Then why do you use it!?"

"I've been using it basically my whole life, why change now!?"

She was bewildered at that response, "Y-Your whole life?"

"Believe it or not, yes! I got it under control!"

Aqua wasn't convinced though. She only shook her head and closed her eyes, thoughts going to a certain friend of hers that had the same idea.

"No... it wouldn't matter if you do... the darkness... will only surface when you least expect it... and take what you hold dear!"

The chains disappeared, but she was gone, sprinting towards the castle as the gate opened.

"Aqua, wait!" Ragna called out.

Suddenly, another swarm of Shadows appeared for a surprise attack as they flew at him.

"Move it!" Ragna yelled as he jumped at them to attack.

"Inferno Divider!"

He launched right up as his sword sliced right through the middle of the swarm, separating them into two. The swarm came back together to attack from below, only for Ragna to pick up on it, turning around and angling his sword downwards at the shadows.

"Belial Edge!"

He launched straight through, taking out the rest in an instant before landing on the ground. The mist left over entered his arm as he puts his sword on his belt. He then sighed as he ran towards the castle in pursuit of Aqua. As he did, he reflected on what just happened.

 _"Why was she so concerned about me wielding darkness? Does it really matter? If so, did she experience someone using it and it backfired on them? Consuming them and transforming them into a... beast."_

Ragna narrowed his eyes as he continued on his objective, _"Never thought I cared about what someone thinks of me. Then again, there were bigger problems to deal with at the time. That and I still have no idea how to get out of this place. I'll find her. Losing someone I just met isn't on my to do list... and this place will drive me nuts."_

 **Done! I'll get right into the things I did in this chapter:**

 **A: I didn't want to spend half a chapter or so on exposition, so I summarized it to cut down on time.**

 **B: Honestly, Demon Tide isn't that threatening since it's just a swarm of Shadows. Also, I know it's called Demon Tower, but Tide makes more sense.**

 **C: Aqua doesn't know Ragna, so her reaction to him wielding darkness makes sense as she saw what happened with Terra.**

 **D: I want to try making later chapters longer, but it actually depends on what is going to happen during it. Don't worry, later fights will be more exciting.**

 **So, thanks for reading and I'll see ya next time!**


	5. Chapter 2: Doubts in the Shadows

**Hey, fellow readers! Sorry for the wait, let us continue!**

 **Chapter 2: Doubts in the Shadows**

Aqua walked into the castle as she reflects on her actions, _"What am I doing? Why did I panic? Am I more afraid of the darkness than I thought? Or could it be..."_

She then started to hear footsteps on the stairs and looked up to see a figure briefly before disappearing.

"Was that... It can't be..."

Aqua was at a loss for words as she then ran up the steps and into the ballroom above, surprised to see a huge hole in the wall farthest from her. She also sees the figure from before, recognizing the spiky brown hair as he walked past the hole.

"Terra!" She called out as she sprinted straight for him, only for him to fade away right before reaching him.

"A phantom?" She said to herself as she then sees the scenery past the hole in the wall. It gave her a sense of familiarity as she walked on through over a small bridge as her thoughts continued to speak.

"Another world I know... fallen to darkness? I don't get it. Why are they here? Did something happen in the Realm of Light?" She wondered as she continued to wander.

The scenery was becoming more familiar as she then sees a glass coffin... with a person inside. She quickly went up to it to see yet another familiar face.

"Ven!?" She said in brief shock as she pressed her hands against the glass.

Yet despite her voice and her hands hitting the glass, the boy didn't even flinch in his sleep before disappearing.

"What is happening? First Terra, now Ven? What does this all mean?" She questioned as her hands moved away from the glass. "To remind me of who is waiting for me in the light? To... tell me to keep going?" Her hands held each other over her chest as she finished, "Never lose hope?"

She then looks up towards the sky, saddened at the thoughts of her friends. "What I wouldn't give to really turn back time... to spend just one more night under the stars with you two..." She said as she raised her hand up, realizing shortly after what she was doing.

"I'm doing it again..." She muttered as her hand went back down, sounding like she was on the verge of tears before a brief light appeared behind her, getting her attention.

She turned around to see a mirror, her reflection clear as crystal in her eyes as she walked closer to it.

"Why is this here?" She thought out loud as she now stood in front of it.

She reached out and touched the mirror right before hearing a voice, "Aqua!"

Upon hearing her name, she turned her head and saw Ragna running towards her. Before even letting out a response, she felt her hand get grabbed and got pulled in.

"Oh no you don't!" Ragna said as he jumped after her.

* * *

Aqua opened her eyes to find herself on the ground in a strange dark void that is lit by a ring of white flames, surrounding the place like an arena. She got up to her feet as the mirror from earlier lowered itself down across from her. She turned towards it as the glass rippled like water.

"Is this what it's like to face your demons?" She questioned. Unexpectedly, a voice answered... her voice.

"Only your heart is hollow enough to be a demon's." The voice answered.

She looked around as she talked back to it, "Who's there?"

The voice seem to have ignored her as it continued, "No one can save you. And no one wants to."

"What are you talking about?"

She then sees the mirror ripple more as a figure walked out of it. Though who it was surprised her.

"Is that... me?"

Indeed it was, the figure standing there as the mirror disappeared was herself. Though unlike her, the impostor had glowing blue eyes as it gave her an indifferent stare and summoned its own keyblade to battle.

Aqua brought out her keyblade before the two then ran at each other and clashed, trading blow for blow as their skill were matched. The two then jumped away from each other, the phantom teleporting as she landed. Aqua stood there in anticipation before quickly dodging a thrust attack, countering in retaliation to damage her. However, the phantom was gone before it landed and reappeared on the other side of the arena, summoning six large Blizzaga spells around her. Aqua saw this and quickly summoned a group of fireballs, the two firing the spells off. The spells clashed, creating a rather beautiful explosion of shards and embers.

The phantom was gone again as Aqua looked around, listening closely as she held her keyblade tightly. Only a second passed before the phantom reappeared in front of her... and another... and another... and another until she was surrounded by them. Soon after, the clones each fired a Spellweaver shot at her, Aqua quickly bringing up her barrier to deflect them back, the clones disappearing on contact.

Aqua took that chance to activate her Ghost Drive style, teleporting right after as she and the phantom clashed. The two came in and out of the arena as they attacked each other swiftly with each teleport. The two came at each other once more, only for Aqua to teleport instead. The phantom was suddenly struck by Thundaga as Aqua reappeared, performing a barrage of thrust attacks to damage it before ending it with a quick downward slash, the phantom disappearing afterwards as Aqua landed.

Aqua sighed as she then sees the mirror return, walking over as her keyblade disappeared. She stood there, staring at her reflection as she wondered about what just happened.

"Now my own shadow? Why?" She then realized something. "Wait, where did Ragna go?"

* * *

Ragna opened his eyes and found himself in a strange place as he got up to his feet. The place was rather dark with endless columns and the floor reflecting like a giant mirror. However, he saw a reflection of the same mirror from before in a sort of alter, but it wasn't above the mirror floor.

"The hell? That makes no sense." He said to himself as he scratched his head. He decided not to think about it and walked on, heading to where the reflection was. Though, once he entered the darkness, he reappeared back to where he was.

"Wha-?" He looked behind him before looking back at the reflection. Several attempts of the same thing later, he was getting frustrated. He was only going straight, how was he looping?

"This is gonna take awhile." Ragna said to himself with a sigh.

 **Done! All right, now that I got what I wanted in order, things should go a bit smoother.**

 **When I make boss fights longer, I was actually planning to add some battle music to accompany it. If I do, the music I use will be listed at the bottom, not only to not break the pace, but to avoid spoilers of what fights to come.**

 **So, thanks for reading and see ya next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 3: Hollow Reflections

**Hey, fellow readers! Back after who knows how long, keep going on and off. Anyways, sorry for a lack of a chapter during the rest of last year, I was busy and tried to get as much as I could written down. So, as a very late Christmas present and new year starter, here it is! I am surprised that this many people actually like the story, so thanks! And as a bonus, I made it longer! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 3: Hollow Reflections**

Aqua exited the mirror as she finds herself in front of a tall staircase. She walked up the steps as her thoughts drifted again.

"These mirrors... do they have the power to show our fears? Our deepest doubts? If so, then that won't be the last time I see that phantom." Next thing she knew, she bumped into something.

She rubbed her head as she sees that... nothing was in front of her. There was another staircase ahead that matched the previous one, though it looked exactly like it. She placed her hand in front of her and felt it, it was another mirror. She entered it, entering where she came from.

"Wait, what?" She questioned. Is she in a loop? It was a straight line.

She walked up the stairs again and entered the mirror, going right back down. This is confusing, is there another way that leads to the exit? Up the stairs again, but there was a difference about the mirror, which is the mirror she came from. She quickly entered the mirror again, only to realize the mistake.

"The exit was there, why is it still looping?" She wondered. Yet, despite her situation...

* * *

"WHERE THE HELL IS THE EXIT!?"

Ragna has it worse. He's been looping for awhile, going every which way he could.

"This... is getting ridiculous!" He yelled, slamming his fist into a pillar.

Next thing he knew, the bricks around the pillar broke down to reveal... a reflection? Wait!

"What's a mirror doing in a pillar?" He questioned as he placed his hand on it.

Suddenly, the place literally flipped entirely upside down. It took Ragna a moment to realize what happened.

"Well, now we're getting somewhere." Ragna mumbled as he looked around.

He then sees his destination and walked on, only for it to fade again as he got closer.

"OK, there's a pattern here. There should be another pillar with a mirror." Ragna said to himself as he looked around.

* * *

Aqua came through the entrance again, purposefully this time as she continued up the stairs.

"If the mirror shows where I have came from, then it must be the exit out of here as well." She deduced as she reached the mirror once more.

As she reaches the mirror, she noticed someone familiar standing in it. Despite his back to her, she knew who it was.

"Ragna?"

Right as she touched the mirror, it instead flashed a white light that was blinding to her. As it fades after what felt like minutes, she finds herself somewhere completely different. Her vision returned as she sees above her a blue sky with white clouds to accompany it and green grass under her feet that made a path to somewhere. As she looked on ahead, she noticed a city in the distance. Could it be another trick of the mirror? Or maybe...

"It's a reflection, an illusion." She was right, though her heart hope the scenery wasn't.

She looked back up to the sky, being able to finally see what she misses after such a long time. It filled her with peace, seeing the clouds drift in the breeze. However, she then realized something and looked back down, seeing someone walking towards the city. She shook off her feelings for now and pursued him.

* * *

"OK, come on. There HAS to be more than one."

Exhaling deeply in frustration, Ragna has yet to find another mirror. He wouldn't mind this so much... if there was something going on. Literally nothing has happened since he got stuck here and it's boring as hell. Now, he's talking to himself through the reflection on the floor.

"Not like you can tell me, you're just copying me."He joked.

Though as he said that, he then noticed a slight ripple effect under his feet. He stood still for a moment before his feet started sinking into the floor. He tried to move, but finds himself locked in position until he fell through.

It wasn't long before he finds himself feeling the wind on his back, indicating that he was falling. He opens his eyes to see a blue sky with white clouds as the wind started to slow to a breeze as his body moved forward, having him land on his feet.

"Well, that's another way out." Ragna looked around to see green grass and a rather familiar city in the distance.

"That's... Kagutsuchi? Then this has to be some sort of illusion." He deduced as he then looked over himself.

Nothing changed in his appearance, except finally noticing his sleeve was off and puts it back on. Seeing nowhere else to go, he decides to head off to the city.

* * *

Her feet went through the grass as Aqua ran towards the person, who she noticed was Ragna and sprinted the rest of the way.

"Ragna!" Her call was heard as Ragna saw her.

"Aqua, there you are. Thought you disappeared." Ragna said.

"Same. Tell me, did you also face a doppelganger?" She asked.

Ragna gave her a confused look, "No, I definitely would remember that. I was trapped until I fell through the floor."

"I see. Maybe it's just me..." She muttered to herself.

"Anyways..." Ragna found it strange how they talked like nothing happened. He gave her a stern look before speaking, "Look, I understand that you have... different views on the power of darkness. But in my world, darkness is just an element that I happen to get. I didn't choose it, I just accepted it."

Aqua listened to his words, only growing more curious as she spoke. "Did something happen that made you who you are now?"

Ragna stood silent with a dark expression, "You could say that. And something tells me... at least some of your answers are there." He then turned towards the city, "Best we get going."

"Right." She agreed as the two headed to their destination.

The walk was very long and they probably just reached the halfway point before Aqua decided to break the silence with a question.

"Is this what your world was like?"

Ragna was perplexed by this, "What do you mean?"

"Like this, before the storm?"

"Well, pretty much. Though, this is the aftermath of the storm."

"Really? What happened?"

"Long story short, this abomination known as the Black Beast suddenly appeared and half of mankind was extinct before six heroes rose up to kill it. Though, in order to do that, an unsung hero known as Bloodedge fought the beast one on one and made the beast go dormant for one year, giving mankind the time to be able to combat it."

"...I see. Who were the six heroes?"

"The leader is named Hakumen. The others goes as followed, Nine, Jubei, Trinity Glassfille, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, and... Yuuki Terumi." Aqua noticed the last name was said with a hint of hostility.

"I see. Was this the event you mentioned earlier?"

"No, that happened after. Though, that's a story for another time."

Aqua only had her curiosity grow by the minute. His world was so interesting, having such a dangerous threat that was so hard to put down. Her mind then went to the unsung hero.

"What about Bloodedge? Was he one of the heroes?"

"No, just an extremely brave man. So brave, my master gave me his name as a title along with the sword and coat that belonged to him."

"Did your master know him?"

"You could say that."

Before Aqua could continue, she saw that they were at the entrance to the city. "Where is everyone?"

Ragna noticed that too, "Good question."

As they walked through the city, each district was empty, silence filled the air as the streets were barren and the buildings looked abandoned.

"What a ghost town, kinda an inaccurate illusion." Ragna muttered to himself.

"Do you hear that?" Aqua asked.

Ragna listened, hearing rather familiar heavy footsteps with... static? "Move!"

He pulled Aqua back as something huge fell to where they were, creating a crater on impact. The smoke clouded their view of the object for a few moments before it... started moving? Someone was actually moving in the smoke, and they were huge.

"No... how?" His question fell on deaf ears as the smoke cleared, revealing a very muscular man with... red skin?

"Are you Ragna the Bloodedge?" The question came from the man as he stood up, easily towering over the two.

"Yeah. It's your lucky day, Red Devil." Ragna answered as he stood up as well. _"What's he doing here?"_

"So you know me. Then I should skip the formalities. I'm from Sector Seven, I prefer if you come quietly." The Red Devil said before seeing Aqua. "Is she an acquaintance of yours?"

Ragna noticed Aqua as she stood up, "She might be. Is that a problem?"

"If that's the case, she has to come along as well."

"Should we?" Aqua whispered to Ragna.

Right now, all Ragna was thinking of was this entire situation. Other than Aqua, the conversation went just like before. If that's the case, then what happens next could lead to getting out of here.

"Sorry, I'm in no mood for following orders. I have other business to attend to." Ragna told him.

The Red Devil didn't like that, "How unfortunate." He said as he activated his gauntlets. letting static electricity dance along them.

"Aqua, I want you to stand back and let me handle this." Ragna said as he got ready to fight.

Aqua stood there for a moment before agreeing, "All right. But, I will step in if I need to."

Ragna nodded in understanding before she stood to the side.

"Get ready, Red Devil. I'll make this quick."

Ragna starts off with his signature projectile, _**"Dead Spike!"**_

The beast head rushes at Tager as he slams his fist down to nullify it, looking up in time to see Ragna jump at him with his sword transformed into a scythe.

 _ **"Blood Scythe!"**_

The swing collides with Tager's other gauntlet as he blocks it, ready for his next move as he reaches for Ragna in the air and was successful.

 _ **"Atomic Collider!"**_

The result slammed his opponent into the ground behind him, Ragna definitely feeling the pain as he was then picked up and pushed away by a magnetic field. He landed on his feet, completely winded as his thoughts popped in his head.

 _"That... was a dumb move."_ Ragna then finds himself being pulled towards the Red Devil as static danced on his body. "Shit!"

 _ **"Sledge-"**_

Tager swung both arms out to attack, only for Ragna to quickly back away to avoid it. The magnetism was still pulling him in as Tager followed it up.

 _ **"Hammer!"**_

Both arms swung down on Ragna as he blocked it with his sword, actually struggling to push it back as the two stood there. After a few seconds, Ragna then got a burst of power as he called out:

 _ **"Barrier Burst!"**_

Tager's feet dragged along the ground as he was pushed back by the force. He stopped himself by putting his hands on the ground and suddenly lunged himself at Ragna, only to miss his target as Ragna jumped in the air and countered with his own move.

 _ **"Belial Edge!"**_

Ragna dived down sword first at Tager, coming in fast. Tager quickly got up and, to Ragna's surprise, actually caught the blade between his hands with a fast clap. The Red Devil then threw Ragna behind him and followed with a projectile while he was in the air.

 _ **"Spark Bolt!"**_

The ball of electricity hit Ragna dead on and sent him flying into a wall. Tager started walking towards him as he spoke, "You know, you don't really live up to the Grim Reaper title. I'm honestly disappointed."

Silence, except for Tager's footsteps, fell upon the area for a moment before a red glow appeared in the smoke.

 _ **"Blood Kain!"**_

Ragna suddenly sprinted at Tager, catching his opponent off guard for a moment from his speed as he readied his sword.

 _ **"Carnage-"**_

He landed his first swing across the Devil's chest and quickly followed up with a flurry of swings before Tager was able to bring up his barrier to defend himself. The Red Devil could only take it before Ragna finished with:

 _ **"Scissors!"**_

Two massive spikes of darkness hit Tager dead on, sending him flying into a restaurant, slamming into tables and what was on them before hitting the wall to stop. Tager got up to his feet as Ragna ran at him once more, jumping as he readied his fist.

 _ **"Gauntlet Hades!"**_

The fist smacked into his opponent's face, staggering him as he prepared his other fist.

 _ **"Hell's Fang!"**_

The attack hit dead on, destroying the wall behind Tager as he flew through it and hitting the ground, sliding along it before stopping.

"Not a good idea... to piss me off." Ragna said as he was catching his breath.

Tager responded with a weak chuckle, "I should have expected this from the one who has the Azure Grimoire." He said as he then started... glowing?

"A fatal... miscalculation." He muttered out before shattering like glass, disappearing into the wind.

Ragna then fell down to his knees as his Blood Kain overdrive faded, breathing heavily as Aqua ran to his side.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"Yeah, just need to rest for a moment."

"I got a better idea. Heal!"

A green aura with leaves appeared around Ragna as he regained his stamina and healed his wounds. He got up and stretched as he felt refreshed, "Oh yeah, kinda forgot you can do that."

Aqua, however, had more questions now as they echoed in his head. _"Grim Reaper? Azure Grimoire? Just... who are you, Ragna?"_

On the other hand, Ragna had doubts about what happened. _"My power... I don't know what it is, but I feel weaker. It feels like a lot of it has disappeared when I entered that mirror. Something here is suppressing it, and I think I know where it is."_

"Best we get going. I got an idea where we should go if we want to get out." He said, snapping Aqua back into reality.

"Uh, right." She quickly agreed.

The two exited the restaurant and headed to the tallest tower in the city.

 **And finally done! So, some of you were wondering how Aqua will learn more about Ragna, well here you go.**

 **The Realm of Darkness is unpredictable as far as I'm aware and with the Mirror World, that has the ability to use illusions. I figure that if it can find a way to look into your mind, recreating memories isn't really that far off, as with Aqua's phantom taunting her about her actions and her desire to get out. However, this also means that this is somewhat based off of Chain of Memories with the way I'm going with it.**

 **Another thing I'm doing is shown at the end of the fight. I was inspired by different sources for new moves for Ragna and that was one of them. However, it'll have a different name later in the story.**

 **As for the fight itself, here's the music:**

 **Vs. Iron Tager - MOTOR HEAD (** **While I like the original, the mashup is very good itself.)**

 **So, that's all for now! See ya next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 4: Memories of the Past

**Hey, fellow readers! Hope you guys like the direction here, it gets interesting from here on out. So, I have come here to respond to a very good question from a guest:**

 **How strong is Ragna compared to the Kingdom Hearts characters?**

 **Well, considering this is after Central Fiction, he can definitely hold his own against pretty much all the villains. As for the heroes, I say... at his best, he can take on Final Form Sora, Dual Wield Roxas and even the Lingering Will one on one.**

 **As for the Final Fantasy characters... you know what, I'll leave that to you guys to debate on. I have my own answer, but I'm curious about your opinions on that. (Remember, in Kingdom Hearts canon, not Final Fantasy canon.)**

 **So, I hopefully satisfied your curiosity on that subject and without further ado, let's continue!**

 **Chapter 4: Memories of the Past**

Ragna knew that Aqua had a lot of questions about him at this point, so he decided to slow down and answer them.

"So, where do you want to start?" He asked her.

"Huh?" She was caught off guard at his question.

"I know you're curious, ask away."

"...Why did he call you the "Grim Reaper"?" She started with.

Ragna sighed before answering, "Well, I'm no hero. When I graduated from my master's training, I wanted revenge. I became a criminal because of my actions and had a bounty large enough to buy a small country."

"I see... what made you change your path?"

That question confused him, "Change?"

"You prevented your world from falling into darkness. I've never heard of a criminal saving others."

"Unless the criminal became the enemy of the world." Ragna brought up as a counterpoint.

Aqua thought about that, "I suppose you're right about that. Wait, you said you wanted revenge, right? What happened?"

Ragna was silent at that, which made Aqua worry a bit. "If it's a sensitive subject, I understand."

"Uh yeah. Let's just say it was the worst day of my life and leave it at that." Ragna then changed the subject, "Anything else?"

"What's this "Azure Grimoire" he mentioned?"

"That's kinda complicated. It's a special artifact that can change its shape, which is now my right arm."

"Your right arm IS the Grimoire?"

"Pretty much. It has a fragment of the Azure from the Boundary, able to give access to immense power for the wielder to use."

"Wait, the Boundary?"

"Oh, you don't know that. Keeping it to the point, it's an alternate realm that no normal being can enter as it can destroy their soul."

"Oh my..."

"Yeah, but there are cases of people surviving the atmosphere due to their willpower."

"I see, similar to the Realm of Darkness." She compared.

"...I see what you mean."

Aqua is now processing all this new info she got as they approached the stairs toward the entrance of the tower. As they got up to the doors, Ragna got a wave of nostalgia as he let out a small smirk. He then turned his head towards Aqua and brought his finger to his lips, signaling her to be silent. She was confused at this as she watched Ragna walk up to the door... and knocked on it.

"Hello! Mr. Grim Reaper is here! I've come to invite all you guys to the underworld!"

"..." No answer.

"Excuse me! Pizza delivery!"

"..." Still no answer.

"Guess no one's home." Ragna shrugged as he turned towards Aqua.

Aqua couldn't help but let out a giggle at his little stunt. "Didn't think you can do jokes."

"Being serious all the time gets boring, gotta lighten up a bit every now and again." Ragna said as he opened the door.

Aqua followed him as the two entered, their footsteps echoing as they walked down a hall. As expected, it was dead silent like the rest of the city, not that Ragna didn't expect that as it was quiet before. As they walked, they noticed another set of doors, one of them opened just a crack.

"Get ready, we're not alone." Ragna warned her.

She nodded as she summoned her keyblade and he held his sword ready as the two stood against the wall. After a moment of silence, Ragna reached his free hand towards the door and quickly swung it open as he swung his sword right after-

CLANG!

Only to meet another blade as Ragna instantly recognized the blue clad wielder, a small grin on his face as the man spoke.

"This is how you greet people?"

"Only when they are people like you."

"Oh? I'm a bit hurt at that accusation... brother."

Ragna pushed the man back as he moved past the door to let Aqua in.

"How rude, you didn't tell me you would have company, a woman even." The man said with disappointment.

"It was last minute. Besides, I thought it was an open invite since there was no one here." Ragna joked.

"Tch, whatever. I'll be sure to get us some privacy." The man said as he stood ready to fight.

"Ragna? Mind telling me who he is?" Aqua asked, making herself known.

"Oh sorry. Excuse my brother Jin, he's always that cold to others." Ragna answered as he kept his eyes on Jin.

"Leave us, woman. Me and my brother would like to catch up." Jin demanded, though it sounds more like a warning.

Aqua narrowed her eyes at that, "And if I don't?"

Jin swiftly pulled out his katana and swung, sending a wave of ice as the duo sidestepped it in separate directions, it freezing the doors on impact.

"Now you can't." Jin said as he sheathed his blade.

He then summoned a trio of ice blades to fire at the two, only for Ragna to suddenly take on the offense and swung at them, shattering them as he sprinted towards Jin. The two then got in a quick round of clashing blades at each swing until Ragna hit his side with the flat end of his blade, pushing him against the rails and grabbed his collar, jumping over it and bringing themselves down to the lower floors.

* * *

Aqua ran to the railings to see where they landed, seeing them near a large staircase as they went at it. She clenched her fist as she then felt a presence. She waited for a bit, nothing but the sounds down below being heard and echoing throughout. She kept still, making no sudden movement as the presence moved quickly like a shadow. A gentle breeze was felt as she then summoned her barrier, deflecting a flying blade aimed at her back and it stabbing into the ground.

"Show yourself." Aqua said.

The attacker dropped down from above and landed a few feet away from her, revealing himself to also be clad in blue, but is younger in age and had a pair of rectangular blades in each hand.

The boy stood up as he spoke, "I'm impressed. Few actually would know I'm nearby until it was too late."

Aqua stood firm as she asked, "And you are?"

"Hibiki Kohaku, captain of the NOL branch." The boy introduced himself.

"Are you with Jin?"

"No, I arrived just now. I heard the Grim Reaper was in Kagusuchi and came out of curiosity. Now I find that Major Kisaragi was waiting for him and has a guest. Now that I answered your question, mind telling me who you are?"

"My name is Aqua."

"Aqua, interesting name. I guess you're associated with Ragna the Bloodedge?"

"Yes." No hesitation was there with her answer.

Hibiki lets out a breath as he held his blades ready, "Then I'll have to capture you as well."

* * *

The brothers fought like fierce rivals as they clashed blades at each swing. Small waves of darkness and icy mist danced across the tiled floor as they pushed themselves back at the force of their collisions until

 _"This should be when Jin was at his weakest, his mind corrupted by Yukianesa. Yet, he's actually given me a run for my money. I thought something was fishy before, now I know it's affecting these illusions we're fighting."_ Ragna thought as he heard Jin speak.

"That's it, brother! Come and kill me as I kill you!" He yelled as he stabbed the ground with his blade.

Large ice blades shot out as Ragna dodged them, creating more distance between the two.

"I have other plans about that." Ragna retorted right before dodging another blade and countering with:

 _ **"DEAD SPIKE!"**_

A swing across the ground summoned a beast head that came fast at Jin, who countered by quickly swiping at it to take it out. He then had to jump back and swing as a second head came at him and then a third, making him stab the ground to disperse it. He pulls the blade out just as Ragna shouts:

 _ **"HELL'S FANG!"**_

A wicked right hook hits Jin like a truck, making him slide across the tiles into the stairs. He quickly got up to his feet as Ragna simply stood there.

"Last chance to back off. I got no time to waste." He warned.

"...I'm hurt, brother. Even now, you don't wanna spend any time with me." Jin said.

"You know the reason why, Jin."

Jin clenched his fists, "Not even for a minute to play with your dear brother!?"

"You didn't think I wanted to!? She was ill, you weren't! You couldn't just sit down and talk with us, you wanted to play all the time! And the fact you got jealous over that... that's pathetic."

"SHUT UP!" Jin shouted as he sheathes his blade and had ice shape itself over the weapon.

 _ **"MOONSONG!"**_

Jin fires an arrow of ice straight at Ragna, who narrowly dodges it before Jin continued with another and another. Each one Ragna dodged, another one follow right after.

"Gotta catch him off guard somehow." Ragna muttered to himself right before jumping straight up to avoid another arrow, creating a cluster of spikes. He landed with precision on a tip before seeing Jin with yet another arrow.

"I got you!" Jin yells with a grin as he fired, which Ragna again dodged with a jump. His grin grew as he had an arrow ready once more, aimed right at Ragna.

He fired, it spinning rapidly like a drill as it came closer to the target. Time slowed to a crawl as it turned out, Ragna had done a front flip with his sword at the ready as he went forward, swinging his blade right in line with the arrow, slicing it down the middle before firing right past him.

Jin's grin faded as he saw it unfold, briefly distracting him from following up, just realizing that as Ragna spun right at him from the sky. He quickly had to block as Ragna landed in front of him, unleashing a shockwave of dark energy on impact. The attack splits the staircase down the middle as it traveled for a bit before disappearing. Jin laid there as Ragna stood up and walked over.

"Despite being an illusion, you certainly act like him. But, a sheer impostor will never match the original. Don't ever show that face to me again, I already reconciled with them."

Jin looked at him from where he was, "What... are you... talking about?" He managed to get out before breathing heavily.

"Just stay on the ground." Ragna then had a thought, "The moon might come crashing down."

Jin had a scared look on his face, reacting to that line before glowing and shattering.

 _"Whatever this place is, it's able to copy everything I remembered. Even the people I encountered act just like them. This Realm of Darkness is certainly a mystery."_ Ragna thought in his head.

* * *

Hibiki sprinted at Aqua as she fired a group of fireballs, him countering by throwing small blades to intercept. The result was explosions on collision, creating smoke long enough for Hibiki to run right through to attack. Aqua saw this and swung, only to see her blade go through him, or rather a clone.

"What?" She muttered before seeing her opponent jump at her, swinging his blades in motion like a helicopter as he closed in.

She quickly ducked and countered with a burst of magical energy to send him back, only for him to recover and launch back by jumping off a pillar.

 _ **"Piercing Feathers!"**_

He threw several knives at her, making Aqua flip backwards to avoid them only for her attacker take the opening.

 ** _"Thrashing Claw!"_**

The move connected, staggering Aqua for a moment as Hibiki landed and swings for a followup-

CLING!

Only for it to be blocked by her barrier and it bursting soon after, pushing him back as Aqua prepared a strong magic attack.

 _ **"Prism Rain!"**_

A shower of multicolored orbs fired at blinding speeds at her opponent, leaving no time to dodge as he blocked it to reduce the damage. Another burst went flying as Hibiki used his clones to avoid them this time, the same happened with the third and final burst before the attack ended. However, it left her open as Hibiki spun himself like a cyclone from below, making her use magic to perform a double jump to avoid it. Landing across the room, she then prepared another magic attack.

 _ **"Thundaga Storm!"**_

A massive bolt of lightning shot down from right above Hibiki, slamming into him on impact. Smoke and dust created a cloud around the area where it hit and fell silent, Aqua staying on guard until it cleared. Seconds passed as it slowly settled...

1...

2...

3...

 _ **"Shadow Dance-"**_

As she suspected, Hibiki jumped at her from the dust cloud, instinctively bringing up her barrier before the attack landed. Though, it was only a feint as he faded away.

"A clone!" She realized just as she saw the real attack, two blades flying right at her.

Her barrier faded right before the blades touched it, hitting her instead.

 _ **"Hidden Phoenix!"**_

Hibiki instantly teleported nearby and a barrage of slashes began, slashing their target until the finish, damaging her greatly as Hibiki replaced his blades. Aqua fell on one knee soon after as he looked at her.

"You were tougher than I expected, especially since you can use magic. Though, that makes you much more dangerous." Hibiki observed.

"...Is magic that dangerous?" Aqua asked.

"Considering how skilled you are, that's a strange question to ask. People who were mages in history use magic, very powerful in the most gifted." He answered, slightly confused at her question.

"I see... you mean like this?" Aqua then raised her keyblade up, "Curaga!"

A green healing light surrounded her, closing her wounds as she got up to her feet and ready to fight.

"Capable of healing, similar to Celica A. Mercury." He muttered to himself, "You leave me no choice."

"Now I know your tricks, so don't expect them to work a second time." Aqua sternly said, activating her Ghost Drive.

Hibiki rushed at her with his clone teleport, reappearing behind her as she saw him, clashing blades as they swung simultaneously. The two moved across the hall as their attacks connected, the blades clashing as they echoed on impact. After a few more attacks, Hibiki quickly jumped back and teleported again.

 _ **"Black Thunder-"**_

Aqua heard his voice from above and looked, seeing him dive straight down upon her.

 _ **"Nue!"**_

His blades slammed on impact, stabbing the floor as he realized she teleported at the last second.

"Damn!" He cursed mentally.

Aqua seized the opportunity and unleashed a series of thrusts, going pass him each time before finishing with a heavy blow. Aqua lets out a breath as Hibiki fell to his knees.

"Impressive." He said before glowing and shattering.

Aqua watched him vanish for a moment before heading off to where Ragna was, now seeing ice pillars and the large staircase split into two. She hopped down to the floor below and walked on over when she heard Ragna speaking.

"Just stay on the ground, or else the moon might come crashing down."

Jin's face looked scared at that before glowing and shattering as well, the ice pillars shattering along with him. It actually looked beautiful as the shards faded away. Ragna turned towards Aqua as he crossed his arms.

"Sorry about that. I like to keep any disputes like that between us." He said.

"I understand that. What about the moon crashing?" She asked out of curiosity.

"When he was young, he had a strange fear for it. I don't know why." Ragna chuckled out.

"Never heard of anyone who did."

"Anyways, I think-"

He cut himself off as their surroundings started getting distorted a bit before returning to normal.

"What was that?" Ragna questioned.

"We must be weakening the illusion. Just a little further ahead will be the exit." She answered with an assumption.

"Then we better get going. I'll tell you what I found out on the way." He agreed.

The two went up the stairs and headed down further below, where their final obstacle awaits.

 **Done! Finally finished. So, I didn't want Aqua to be the audience for all of the battles in Ragna's memories, so I decided to give her an opponent while Ragna was busy. I picked Hibiki since I could make a believable reason as to why he would be there, as well as using him in a fight.**

 **Another reason why is I don't wanna follow the entire thing to the script, so here ya go. Next chapter is gonna be good, as I am looking forward to it.**

 **Music Tracks**

 **Ragna vs. Jin - Under Heaven Destruction (Any version will do, all of them are awesome!)**

 **Aqua vs. Hibiki - In The Shadows (Mysterious and jazzy in a sense, I really like it.)**

 **Also, this will be my main focus for now, so expect more in the near future. See ya next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 5: Shattered Mirrors

**Hello, fellow readers! Here with a couple of things, either pointed out by the reviews or attempts I tried, etc. So, let's list them.**

 **One, I honestly haven't watched the ending to Central Fiction in quite awhile, so I assumed out of my ass when I wrote that. That was a dumb move and I should have known that. Thanks for pointing that out, fellow reviewer.**

 **Two, I really like the reviewers who actually come up with ideas as to how to set up battles. Like I said, I don't want to keep fighters on the sidelines when they're more than one in the same area. So I do appreciate the suggestions when they show up.**

 **Three, I'm actually surprised about people saying that since Kingdom Hearts is a crossover of Final Fantasy and Disney, Final Fantasy official canon still applies. Tell me, Seifer gave Leon that scar on his face in Final Fantasy 8. Then how did Leon get the scar when Seifer doesn't even know him and is in a separate world? The way Kingdom Hearts handles Final Fantasy characters is different from the originals. But hey, that's just how I see it.**

 **Fourth, I'm also surprised that you rank the keyblade wielders up on par with the Six Heroes. But now that you said that, I want to see how that battle would play out.**

 **Fifth, you made some very good points on how Ragna matches up with them. True, I was being generous, but I just meant without the final forms and stuff. He may hold his own, but he's definitely not invisible. I'll keep that in mind as we go along.**

 **So that's what I get for attempting an emotional moment, just to introduce my face to the floor. I will be extra careful on what I write from now on. So, on to the story!**

 **Chapter 5: Shattered Mirrors**

"You fought Hibiki?" Ragna questioned as they rode the elevator down.

"Yeah. He came to find you and met me right after you two jumped off." Aqua answered.

"That never happened before... as far as I know."

"What do you mean?"

"This place is only copying my memories, not only in these events, but the people I met too. However, these are only illusions, yet they are stronger than what I remember."

"Do you think the darkness is amplifying their power?"

"That's a possibility. Though, ever since we enter here, I felt weaker."

"Weaker? Like how?"

"It feels like something was taken away when I entered the mirror."

"Then it can't be a coincidence."

"My power and the illusions has to be connected somehow."

Aqua looked a bit surprised at that, "Then, when we entered the mirror, our darkness must have separated. I fought myself when we entered, you must have a reflection here as well."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Ragna sighed.

"Actually, I saw it before I fell into here. Your reflection must be controlling these memories." Aqua realized.

"...Then we must be getting close."

The elevator stops as it reached their destination, the two exiting out soon after to see a dark hall that led further down. It was silent, only their footsteps were heard as they walked, the place dimly lit by lights for their vision. As they continued down, they see small streams of darkness as they passed by the lights and even the temperature was getting colder.

"I don't remember it being this cold." Ragna commented as he was able to see his breath.

"The darkness is always cold." Aqua remembered from her travels in the realm.

"Then whatever is down here has to be the source then."

They finally reached the end, where they saw a dormant portal and a white armored man.

"So, you have arrived... Dark One." The man spoke, addressing Ragna.

"Yeah I have. If I know my history, you must be Hakumen." Ragna rhetorically said.

"THIS is Hakumen?" Aqua was surprised, the leader of the Six Heroes is standing in front of them at the end.

"Flattery means nothing." Hakumen shrugged off as he placed his arms down at his sides.

"Funny. We're not here to give you praise, we know that defeating you will get us out." Ragna retorted.

"Defeating me? Surely you jest. The only one who will meet their end is you." Hakumen growled before noticing Aqua. "And you are?"

"Aqua, a friend of his." Aqua answered back.

"... Your heart is tainted by darkness, no doubt from it. Then, I'll be sending you both together." Hakumen said as he pulls out his sword.

Aqua noticed the weapon, a long sword which actually has a flat tip. She then heard Ragna as his head was turned towards her.

"Aqua, we need to work together. I can't take him on by myself, especially since I can't fight at my best and these illusions are stronger than when I faced them."

"I understand, I wasn't planning on standing by this time." She agreed.

Ragna nodded in understanding before the two heard Hakumen speak.

"Get ready, Dark One. I'll stop the source of evil here and now." He then held his sword in front of him.

"I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world, and cleanse it in the fires of destruction!"

A bright aura surrounded him, raising his hair like tails of a fox for a moment before entering his battle stance. "I am Hakumen! The end has come!"

Ragna took the offensive as he sprinted at him, delivering a flurry of slashes when he got close. However, Hakumen was able to block the combo and swiftly countered, throwing him over his shoulder. He quickly noticed Aqua's approach and swung, deflecting her keyblade in the process. He swings downwards, only to hit a barrier from her. He was confused for a moment before Aqua surprised him by firing a powerful Blizzard spell, creating a large explosion on impact. Hakumen was pushed back and shrug off the shattered shards on his body.

"Magic? Very powerful at that. Now I MUST take you down." Hakumen said before entering his battle stance again.

He makes his advance by dashing straight at her, where she jumped back in response. In the instant she did, he suddenly shot up his leg to attack.

 _ **"Firefly!"**_

It connected, sending her flying upwards as Hakumen charged up and swung, connecting head on with Aqua to slam her into a wall.

"Aqua!"

Hakumen turned to the voice behind him, only to be met with a straight punch to the mask, staggering him for a moment before grabbing him and slamming him into the ground before throwing him the other way. Not wasting a heartbeat, Ragna met him in the air and delivered a heavy knee strike. Hakumen hit the ground, but quickly recovered to his feet.

"That's all?" He taunted before dashing again, meeting Ragna as he landed and hits him with the pommel of his sword dead on.

Ragna got the wind knocked out of him, leaving himself wide open for Hakumen to attack. However, Aqua deflected the blade as it came down, quickly going on the offensive. All he can do at the moment was block as Aqua kept him on the edge with her speed until she finishes with a burst of light orbs spinning around her, making Hakumen jump back to avoid damage. She took the opportunity to let loose one of her stronger attacks.

 _ **"Bubble Blaster!"**_

Hakumen was a bit confused at the name, but took no chances as he guarded against the bubbles coming at him. Two more waves came at him soon after, which he takes the chance to activate his own counterattack on the third. Ragna notices it and quickly jumped into action.

"Get down!"

Everything slowed down as the bubbles hit Hakumen's barrier-

 _ **"Empty Sky Form..."**_

Ragna grabs Aqua and tries to move out of the way as the attack was unleashed.

 _ **"Winter's Riposte!"**_

In an instant, Hakumen was on the other side of them before the two moved out of range, connecting dead on... one of them. The pair hit the ground, Aqua under Ragna as he now had a huge gash on his back.

 _"Illusion or not, he still hits hard."_ Ragna thought as he winced at the pain.

"This could have been avoided if you fought me at your fullest from the start." Hakumen said as he turned to them.

"...Shut up, masked freak." Ragna growled back.

Aqua was still shocked at what just happened as he tried to get up to his feet slowly but surely.

"Time to end this!" Hakumen said as he raised his blade to the sky.

Aqua reacted by firing a burst of light energy right at him, breaking his focus for a moment before healing Ragna with Curaga, the familiar green light surrounding him to heal his wounds.

"Thanks." Ragna said as he got to his feet with her soon following.

Hakumen dashed to close the distance, which Aqua attacked by firing a large Blizzaga spell to stop his momentum. However, he actually swung his sword, nullifying the spell before following up with a palm strike, knocking her back. He begun to charge his next attack before Ragna unleashed his own.

 _ **"DEAD SPIKE!"**_

The head of a beast emerged as he swung, rushing at the masked man as he noticed, quickly swiping to nullify it. Ragna took the opportunity to advance, but was caught off guard as the blade glowed for a moment before Hakumen spoke.

 _ **"Summer's Advance!"**_

He swung horizontally to attack the two with a shockwave. They blocked, but were knocked off their feet from the impact. Hakumen held his sword as a bright light emitted from him, conjuring up a strong wind.

 _ **"Light of Judgement..."**_

Ragna knows this move, "He's removing his restrictions. At this point..." He looks over at Aqua, who he actually noticed has not healed her own wounds yet.

"Aqua, regroup! I'll hold him off!" Ragna ordered as he got up and stood between her and Hakumen. "You need to heal!"

Aqua realized that as she looked over herself, only to feel a shockwave as Hakumen let out a powerful aura.

 _ **"Mugen!"**_

Ragna raised his right arm, letting out a breath before shouting out:

 _ **"UNLEASHING ARMAGUS!"**_

A black aura surrounded Ragna in an instant as Hakumen raised his blade to the sky.

"Disappear, nightmare!" He shouted as energy was channeled into the sword.

"In that case, I'll show you fear!" Ragna shouted back as he channeled energy as well.

After a moment passed, the two swung, colliding blades simultaneously before Ragna transformed his weapon into scythe mode.

 _ **"BLACK ONSLAUGHT!"**_

The two continued their battle, creating shockwaves as their attacks collided at each blow, before Ragna brought up his scythe, it reverting back into sword form in the process.

 _ **"NIGHTMARE RAGE!"**_

His sword became cloaked in darkness as Hakumen conjured a massive barrier to nullify the soul draining effect before Ragna swung as hard as he could to end it.

However, he recognized the barrier Hakumen was using was different from the previous one as his attack slammed into it.

 _ **"The final judgement-"**_

His counter was suddenly stopped as golden chains of light constricted him, freezing his momentum.

"What is this!?" Hakumen yelled out.

Ragna quickly took the opportunity and rushed in, channeling his remaining energy into the Azure Grimoire, creating a giant demonic claw.

 _ **"Let darkness consume you!"**_

He grabbed Hakumen before countless tendrils of darkness emerge from a portal behind him, shredding through the victim mercilessly before becoming crushed.

 _ **"SHATTER!"**_

Hakumen was set flying, fading into light as he spoke to himself.

"It... must be fate."

He then shattered, shards of light being the only remains that then faded as well. The black aura faded right after as Ragna fell to his knees.

"I just realized something... do I still have..." He then looked at his left arm as Aqua walked over.

"Now we're even." She said, crossing her arms.

"Oh, guess so." He agreed.

Aqua then used Curaga to heal him back to full as they then heard a loud cracking sound that grew louder and louder. They see the place getting fissures everywhere until shattering completely, making them fall into the black abyss.

 **Done! Wow, that took quite a bit to do. So, about the process of this chapter. I had Hakumen set as the final Blazblue character to use in this story, besides Ragna obviously, but how the fight was gonna go had a couple of interpretations. Though, once I watched the true ending of Calamity Trigger, I had some parts of that and put Aqua in the mix.**

 **Now the big question is, why isn't Nu here? To be honest, the idea did cross my mind, but I wanted to keep the illusions in character. I was thinking of a triple threat match, but scrapped that... for no reason specifically. OK, the truth is... I'm not really a big fan. I don't hate her, I like her in gag reels, just that the yandere personality became stale to me.**

 **So, the track used:**

 **Vs. Hakumen - Black and White (One of my personal favorites)**

 **OK, thanks for reading, see ya next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 6: Blood Pain

**Hey, fellow readers! Like I said, I want to focus on this as my main story for now, so I wanna keep going. So, what do we got?**

 **One, I'm really liking you guys getting into discussions about the pros and cons Ragna has in the Kingdom Hearts universe. It gives me ideas to work with, so I appreciate that.**

 **Two, I do know about the Idea Engine and how it negates Blood Kain's draining effect. To be honest, I thought it was separate from using normal Blood Kain, but you guys keep saying it automatically goes with the move. If that's the case, my bad.**

 **Three, you guys also bring up how crossovers generally have the characters get something to alter or augment their established abilities. I do have some ideas in mind and I can't wait to use them.**

 **Four, I get what you're saying, but I'll treat them as separate individuals from their official counterparts. Also, I will not disrespect the Final Fantasy characters, I have seen what they're capable of.**

 **So, let us continue!**

 **Chapter 6: Blood Pain**

His vision was blurry as Ragna started to open his eyes until it cleared, revealing his surroundings to be a grassy plain that led to a forest under a night sky. He saw himself on a hill with a tree, with a very familiar grave under it.

"This is..." No doubt about it, it is a grave that belonged to the Sister.

"Ragna." He turns his head to see Aqua walking up the hill to him, "Where are we now?"

Ragna was silent for a moment before turning his head back to the grave. "My home."

Aqua was now curious, "This is where you grew up?"

"...Yeah." He then fully turned around and saw his home further down the hill, "That is what's left."

Aqua turned to where he was facing and gasped at the sight. What she saw was the charred remains of a burned down church. The two walked down to get a closer look as the moon shined down upon them. What was inside were barely recognizable, with the ashes settled upon the ground under their feet as they entered.

"What happened here?" Aqua asked.

"The result of a madman... everything I had was gone in an instant..." Ragna went quiet after saying that.

Aqua was silent as she remembered what happened to her home, though she still doesn't know what caused it before transforming it.

The two then see the sky distorts itself as a voice was heard, _"The day that hell came into my life... a memory I'll never forget."_

 _"Countless times I have witnessed this event, helpless and scared. And each time... I was desperate for revenge."_

"Where are you?!" Ragna yelled out.

The sky distorted more as dark wisps came down and passed the two before forming a figure. Once the wisps disappeared, the two saw the source of the illusions.

The reflection of Ragna stood there as its eyes opened, the mismatched eyes glowed with a sinister glare upon the pair as a black aura flowed out of him.

"You weren't kidding about a reflection..." Ragna muttered.

A glow appeared behind them as a portal rippled in the air, another reflection walked out before it disappeared.

"I knew it would returned. Looks like both of us has a shadow to face this time." Aqua said as she turned to face her reflection.

The two were back to back as the reflections stared them down, the surroundings getting a barrier to confine the fight. Though, they were caught off guard when the barrier went right between them, splitting the two. Ragna faced off against his reflection while Aqua faced her own as the surroundings inside and outside were being distorted into nothingness.

 **(Author's Note: Dark=Ragna's reflection, Phantom=Aqua's reflection)**

* * *

Ragna stood there with the sword at the ready as his reflection had a nasty smirk on his face.

 _"Sad that you deny the power of the beast. Nothing will stop you if you became who you really are."_ Dark tempted, to no effect.

"Save it. You're wasting your time." Ragna retorted as he pulled his sword out to attack.

Ragna opened his assault by delivering a quick flurry of slashes, making Dark dodge to keep it on edge. After a horizontal slash, the reflection ducked and countered with a wave of dark energy to knock Ragna back. He was able to back away fast enough, but was caught by a stronger follow up wave and had to guard against a third from above. Dark then rushed him down with hand to hand, the two exchanging a fast barrage of fists. Hooks, jabs and even haymakers landed on each other for damage and started to collide near the end before they ended with a roundhouse kick, pushing the two back a few feet upon collision.

 _ **"DEAD SPIKE!"**_

 _ **"DEAD SPIKE!"**_

The two then attacked with a signature attack, though the bigger one won as it rushed down Ragna. Thinking quickly, he unleashed a equally large shockwave to cancel it out, obscuring his vision for a moment.

 _"Wide open."_

Dark took advantage of the opening and appeared in front of Ragna, catching him off guard as he lands a uppercut to send him flying. Jumping up after him, Dark connected with an axe kick, sending Ragna plummeting to the ground. Quickly recovering from the impact, he rolled out of the way as Dark dived down blade first to impale him, stabbing the ground.

"Take this!"

Ragna launched a sudden attack by connecting a punch in the abdomen, stunning Dark long enough to channel dark energy before following up with a straight punch, unleashing a shockwave on impact to knock Dark away. While he was recovering, Ragna dashed in with his blade at the ready.

 _ **"CARNAGE-"**_

As he swings his sword, Dark was quick to deflect it and the two collided the second part of the distortions.

 _ **"SCISSORS!"**_

The attacks created an explosion, spreading over a large area for a moment as it covered them. Moments passed as the darkness started to fade, only for it to rapidly disappear thanks to Dark.

 _ **"NIGHTMARE RAIN!"**_

A wing of dark energy surrounded his arm as Ragna quickly charged up his own attack, transforming his sword to scythe form.

 _ **"SEED OF TARTARUS!"**_

Ragna swung his weapon as Dark brought down his attack, slamming into each other with such force to send the two soaring into opposite sides of the arena.

* * *

Aqua kept her guard up as her reflection swarms her with Blizzaga spells, countering with Firaga spells to cancel them out. Phantom teleported soon after and rushed her down with fast lunges, causing Aqua to dodge with acrobatic flips. Once she jumps over another lunge attack, Aqua took the opening and fired a Pearl shot, stunning Phantom long enough to activate a more powerful attack.

 _ **"Prism Rain!"**_

Multi-colored orbs were fired rapidly, hitting home on Phantom before following up with Thundaga. Right before it hit, Phantom teleported and reappeared far away to activate Spellweaver, teleporting once again to begin her assault.

Phantom and four clones of her appeared and fired Pearl shots, Aqua dodging by jumping straight up high and using her double jump to avoid another barrage. The phantoms reappeared behind her and fired more, which were quickly dealt with a powerful Blizzaga shot to cancel them out. Aqua quickly activated Ghost Drive as she fell with Phantom diving down after her, keyblade spinning like a wheel to shred her. Aqua waited right before hitting the ground to teleport, causing the attack to whiff and staggering Phantom for a moment on impact.

 _ **"Pearl Shower!"**_

Aqua fired a burst of shining orbs at her opponent, the clones coming back to fire Firaga blasts to stop them as a distraction for Phantom to teleport. The clones vanished soon after, Aqua teleporting as well for the two to clash blades, swinging each time they reappear a few times before combining magic spells into the mix. After colliding one more time with a powerful Pearl spell, Aqua reappeared on the ground and sees the clones show up, beginning their attacks simultaneously from all sides. With each teleport, Aqua faces a clone and retaliates on reflex, swinging to deflect and damage as best she could.

Aqua quickly tries to gain some distance to recuperate, using Curaga to heal her wounds before the clones spotted her. They homed in on her as she charges the chain attack, constricting them in place before following up with Thundaga, striking them down. As the spell faded, Aqua finds herself in the middle of three clones performing the Spellweaver finisher, spinning gracefully like a ballerina around her with ice dancing alongside them. She kept her guard up as they closed in, guarding with her barrier when it got too close before the finale. The area got covered in ice under a crystallized snowflake, cold dust blowing in the air as it vanished soon after.

When the dust settled, Aqua dispersed her barrier to break the ice off.

 _"Vanish!"_ She then sees Phantom dash at her with a powerful lunge, Aqua barely blocking it as she flew back from the impact.

* * *

As the two hit the mirror wall behind them, it shattered and broke the barrier between their fights. Ragna and Aqua started to get up to their feet as Dark and Phantom chuckled.

 _"You hold back your power, afraid for it to take over."_ Dark taunted.

 _"You doubt yourself, hoping that the darkness doesn't have a hold."_ Phantom added.

 _"It already found the cracks..."_

 _"The Realm holds your hearts in a prison..."_

 _"Give up and let the darkness consume you!"_ The two shouted as they fired a powerful attack of light and darkness respectively at their opponents, colliding on impact.

"Just shut up already."

The attacks were blocked as Ragna and Aqua stood firm with their weapons in front, the two then powering up before the reflections are able to react.

"Idea Engine linked!" A blue glow appeared in the red orb on Ragna's left glove before activating his Overdrive. "Blood Kain!"

"Get ready!" Aqua shouted, gaining a white aura that glowed brightly as she turned her head towards Ragna.

"Ragna, follow my lead!"

"Got it!"

The two then teleported, the two reappearing behind their own reflections and landed a strong swing, making them hit against each other before Aqua summoned the chains to bind them, preventing them from escaping. Ragna channeled energy into his right arm and delivered an uppercut that created a shockwave to send them sky high, Aqua appearing above in their path and activated Spellweaver before firing a burst of light, sending them back down. The two then disappeared again before the reflections suddenly get bombarded with a powerful flurry of slashes from all sides, dealing heavy damage before stopping. Once they were close to the ground, Aqua and Ragna reappeared again, one on each side as more chains were summoned to hold the reflections in place.

 _ **"BLACK ONSLAUGHT!"**_

 _ **"FAREWELL!"**_

The two channeled energy into their weapons, her keyblade gaining a large glowing blade and his sword transforming into scythe form before they simultaneously attacked in rhythm, appearing as a deadly dance before the end, ending with their final attack to destroy their opponents. The reflections shattered like glass when the attack ended, the two panting heavily as the arena disappeared, returning them back to the church.

"Wha... just happened?" Ragna asked in between breaths, putting his sword back on his belt.

"I believe we just performed a Limit." Aqua answered, using Curaga once more to heal her and Ragna before dismissing her keyblade.

"A limit?"

"It's somewhat complicated on how they work. When a bond between two people grows strong enough, they can use a powerful team attack to deal with dangerous threats. Usually, I can use power similar to this with my Wayfinder, but I felt a familiar feeling from you."

"How did our bond connect like that?" Ragna wondered.

"My guess... would be our goals, to get out and escape the realm back to the light." Aqua answered.

Ragna thought about it, "That makes sense." He simply responded with as he rubbed his neck.

Aqua then pulled out a blue star-shaped charm, showing it to Ragna. "Is that the Wayfinder?" He pointed out.

"Yeah. I made one for me and my friends, to represent our connection. I also worked a little magic on it, so that no matter what happens, we'll be together." Aqua finds herself saddened as she said that, memories of what has happened crossed her mind.

"As long as I hold on to this, I'll always have hope." Aqua clenched the charm gently in her hand as she made a small smile.

Ragna listened as she spoke. Once she finished, he asked out of curiosity. "How did you get here?"

She looked up at him as she heard the question, "I fell in to save my friend. I managed to get him out in time, so I know he and Ven are safe there."

"Ven?" Ragna repeated.

"Oh, their names are Terra and Ventus. I'm sure you three would get along great." Aqua said as she put away the charm.

"If you say so..." Ragna muttered. He doesn't know who they are, so he can't imagine it.

"Anyways, how do we get out of here?" Aqua wondered, seeing that they were still at the church.

They then heard something. It was faint, but it sounded like... music? As they walked around, the music was getting louder. They then hear it coming from under a burned chest, opening it to reveal...

"This is..." Ragna said as he saw a familiar music box playing a beautiful song. As the song played, the surroundings started to fade into light, particle by particle up into the stars above. Once the song ended, the illusion vanished as the light engulfed them completely.

 **Done! Woo, we have finished the illusions! So, where to start?**

 **Not gonna lie, kinda forgot about Phantom Aqua during this story. Could have had her reappear earlier and kept pursuing Aqua throughout the mirror world, but kinda shoehorned her in at the end to get that over with.**

 **As for the reflections, I noticed that a majority of the shadow characters in video games usually taunt themselves or point out their flaws. I think I did all right with them.**

 **Now, I showed off one of my ideas, which are limits. I really liked these when they were introduced in KH2, flashy and powerful.**

 **Ragna and Aqua shares a limit named: Shadows of Light**

 **Phase 1: Ghost Splicer - Teleports and damages any nearby enemies in the area, condensing them before Aqua activates the chains to bind them.**

 **Hell's Spike - Ragna delivers a powerful uppercut to send the enemy skyward with Aqua sending them back down with an attack of her own.**

 **Phase 2: Crossing Blades - The two then teleport and catches the enemy in midair with a fast barrage of slashes. (Gameplay-wise, X for Ragna and Triangle for Aqua)**

 **Phase 3: Dual Onslaught - Summoning chains to hold them still, Aqua activates Bladecharge and Ragna uses Black Onslaught as they attack from both sides, obliterating the enemy by colliding their final attacks.**

 **The attacks are based off of other sources while the rest is stuff I came up with. Though, I may have rushed a bit because I just want to get out of the mirror.**

 **Anyways, music tracks:**

 **Ragna Mirror Match - Blood Pain (A great theme on its own)**

 **Aqua Mirror Match - Aqua -0.2 Version- (So haunting, I love it)**

 **Music Box - Stardust Memory -Original- (I love this theme, it's so beautiful)**

 **All right, thanks for reading and see ya next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 7: Trapped in Nightmares

**Hey, fellow readers! Continuing on this train, let's see what we got:**

 **First, I recently put this in the summary, but this is an AU story. That ends that question. But, only I know what's gonna happen, so yeah.**

 **Second, I tried to keep Aqua from being on the sidelines the entire time, but I admit on getting carried away with Ragna's little story. I read the review that mentioned how his past is gonna be shown to Aqua, so I thought the mirror world was a good time. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how much I missed for Aqua's development until the near end. I apologize for that so don't worry, Aqua will get the spotlight for the next couple of chapters.**

 **Third, I am loving the discussions you guys are having. True, the games are confusing when it comes to power scaling and the anime is not a good source, but I really wished they had more concrete information. I would mention the mangas and novels, but I read that they take place at different timelines which again altered the power scaling, I believe. Either way, I do want to make his growth in power and skill feel genuine, him earning them instead of plot convenience.**

 **All right, let's go!**

 **Chapter 7: Trapped in Nightmares**

The two now find themselves in a rather thorny forest with thick trees surrounding them as they stood up.

"Well, we're out of the mirrors. Though, I didn't expect a forest with trees like this." Ragna commented.

"What were you expecting?" Aqua questioned.

"Something more... dead."

"...I wouldn't be surprised, actually."

"Do you know where we are now?"

Aqua looked around as she walked a bit, "These thorns... this is Enchanted Dominion."

"Enchanted?" He raised an eyebrow at that part.

"Well, a sorceress named Maleficent used these thorns when I fought her alongside Prince Phillip." She explained.

"Prince, huh? Sounds more like a knight when you said that."

As Aqua was about to speak again, she paused upon seeing something in the distance. Ragna noticed this and looked at where she was looking, only to see nothing.

"Is there an enemy?" He asked, ready to pull out his sword.

"...Huh, no. I thought I saw someone." She answered, confusing him.

"Someone?" He repeated, making sure he heard right.

"Yeah. Come on." Aqua then walked towards to where she saw it, with Ragna following closely in case of an ambush.

They walked further in, passing by bushes and avoiding the thorns that were wrapped around the trees. Aqua watched for any movement, only to see a tall figure behind a tree briefly before disappearing. She sped up for a moment, hoping to catch the figure in time, only to see nothing.

"What's the sudden rush?" Ragna asked when he caught up right after.

"...I saw him." Aqua said, confusing Ragna again.

"Saw who?"

"...Terra."

Ragna looked at her in concern, "You mean your friend you saved from being here instead of you?"

"Yeah... you're right. That makes no sense if he was." She then sees movement again, now from a smaller figure that she quickly ran to catch.

"Wait, Aqua!" Ragna called out as he ran after her. _"What's gotten into her now?"_ He thought as he dodged the thorns to catch up.

The two soon find themselves in a clearing where she stopped, frantically looking around.

"What is it now!?" Ragna asked, now very concerned at this point.

"Ven! Ven is here!" She answered.

"First, why? Second, how?"

Aqua didn't answer, she kept looking around until she finally slowed down.

"Exactly. I'm sure he's safe too." He said, reassuring Aqua.

"Yes... yes." Aqua simply responded back.

"Aqua... how long do you think you have been here?"

She looked saddened at the question, looking down at the ground as she answered. "I don't know, but it feels like... years now."

"Years?" He muttered.

The thought of spending years in what could be compared as hell in other universes, fighting for survival to get out... that would make anyone go crazy at that point.

"I honestly believed I saw them..." He heard her say, her voice sounding on the verge of tears. "I miss them so much..."

Ragna put his hand on her shoulder, "Come on, no need for that. There are better places to cry."

Aqua glanced over her shoulder to see Ragna with a look of understanding in his eyes, "Save those for when we get out."

She blinked and quickly wiped her eyes for any that leaked out, "Right. I came this far, it can wait longer."

He moved his hand away as he walked past her, "There you go. But first, we need to find a way out of this forest."

Suddenly, a huge thorny vine grew sideways in front of Ragna, making him stop and blocking the way forward.

"Great, it's sentient." Ragna muttered in annoyance.

Aqua then swung her keyblade at the vine, cutting it down before disappearing. "My guess is that it wants a trim."

Ragna lets out a small chuckle, "Didn't think you're one for jokes."

As they continued down the path, more thorny vines tried to block their way as well, only to be cut down by their blades. The terrain wasn't so simple as well, now having tall cliffs and steep pits that branch off into more paths.

"Great. Which way?" Ragna asked as they came upon two similar paths covered in thorns.

Aqua looked at both for a bit before seeing her friends standing with their backs turned on the path to the right.

"This way." Aqua answered, going down the right path with Ragna following shortly after.

As they traversed deeper, they find themselves having to go on tree trunks in the more narrow places in order to progress. Aqua used her magic to slide across while Ragna able to keep up quite well thanks to his special training with Master Jubei. As they reached the end of another narrow path, they find themselves in a small clearing with another path ahead, only for a giant humanoid creature to appear between them and the way forward.

"Huh, giant ones now? I faced bigger." Ragna remarked.

"I faced a titan made of ice. This is smaller in comparison." Aqua said, remembering her battle from the coliseum.

"Really?"

"Along with the god of the underworld too."

"And facing gods, too? It just never ends..." He mumbled the second part as he then noticed the monster about to attack with its fist.

"Heh, bring it." He taunted.

"Wait, wha-"

The monster's fist swung at Ragna at full force, the impact causing a strong gust to blow and the terrain to crack... only for Ragna to not only still be standing, but actually caught the fist.

"Now, go!" Ragna ordered.

"Uh, right!" Aqua then hopped on the arm and ran down it to then deliver a quick swipe to the head, stunning it as it fell back.

"Not yet!" Ragna yelled as he pulled the fist back, causing the monster to slam against the trees next to it.

Aqua then summoned Thundaga, shocking the monster as Ragna ran, running up the cliff to then jump off and performs Nightmare Edge for a finisher, going down the back and through the heart-shaped hole in its torso before it disappeared. Ragna puts away his sword as the mist absorbs into his right arm.

"How did you do that?" Aqua questioned.

"That? Well, when you faced opponents not only bigger, but also stronger, you learn a trick or two. The Red Devil can handle this guy." The mist disappeared as he turns towards her, "It was also a test."

"Test?"

"After we left the mirror world, I felt my strength had returned. Guess my reflection got it somehow." Ragna theorized.

"Is that why you kept using, what was it, Blood Kain?" Aqua wondered.

Ragna turned his head towards her, "That's half of it, the other was some sort of instinctive reflex. Felt like I was back at square one during that."

"Well, that's good to know. Though, tell me when you do something like that again. Recklessness like that can get us both in trouble."

Ragna shrugged at that, "I've been told that a lot."

Aqua then turned towards the path to again see her friends the same way as before, "Let's go." She said as she heads off.

Ragna noticed how she goes, acting like she's kinda in a hurry whenever she looks at a path. He decides to hold off for now and followed her as they went deeper. He then sees that as they went further in, the surroundings look more like a cavern instead of a forest.

The two hopped on another narrow path that has a tree trunk to go across, only to find themselves ambushed by more of the humanoid giants from earlier.

"Don't waste time with them!" This time, Aqua called this out.

Ragna was a bit curious at the order since they took care of one, but he knows numbers can make a difference. The giants swung their fists down at them as they passed them, breaking the long trunk on impact, only for the two avoiding the attacks by jumping at the right time. It took a bit, but they reached the end that lead to a clearing surrounded by thick thorny vines placed like trees. They noticed there are about five paths ahead, covered by crimson red vines as they felt like they were being watched.

The two saw an image of dark orange eyes briefly appeared in between the thorns, floating kinda like a-

 _"Please, don't be what I think it is..."_ Ragna nervously thought as he observed the eyes.

Fortunately, his thoughts were put at ease as the eyes started to growl and moved at a faster pace, appearing to jump from tree to tree until it jumped out, the two leaping back to avoid the pounce as the monster landed. The beast stood at twice their height and had dark violet skin with crimson red claws for hands and feet, along with razor sharp spikes going down the back of the head and torso.

"Good, a beast." Upon saying this, he sees Aqua send a glare his way. "I mean... Oh no, a beast." He quickly followed up with a delivery that doesn't sell it.

"Nice to see you so concerned." Aqua sarcastically said in response as she summoned her keyblade.

Ragna looked at her with a small smirk, "Nice to see you sarcastic."

"Best to save that after this."

"Right. Ready when you are."

Soon after he said that, the monster jumped at the two, the pair jumped in separate directions to keep an advantage. Ragna was closer, going for a quick slash for damage, only to whiff as the beast was fast enough to dodge. Ragna then finds himself on the defense as the beast rushed him, forcing him to block the attacks before even attempting a counterattack. Luckily, he didn't have to do this long as Aqua launched a massive fireball, distracting the beast for Ragna to move and hit its target dead on.

When the embers faded, it actually didn't even leave a scratch on the beast as it turned towards Aqua.

"H-How!?" Aqua managed to say before the beast let out a roar.

Next thing she knew, it slammed its claws into the ground and unleashed a wave of flames rushing towards her. She summoned her barrier around her to block it, nullifying it as Ragna sent a Dead Spike its way, the head biting into the leg to stall it a bit. The beast screamed as it flailed a bit, then seeing the head and slammed its fist into it, taking it out right before another Dead Spike came out, grinding its teeth into the arm. The beast growled in annoyance as it moved its arm to get out.

"Now!" Ragna signaled, Aqua taking it as she fired a Blizzaga this time, hitting her target once again.

This time, it appeared to have done something as ice froze over most of the spikes and its right arm.

"Good, that's a st-" She was immediately cut off as she saw the ice shatter, the beast having to only flex the arm to break it and lets out a cold breath before sucking in air. Aqua noticed where it was gonna blow, right at Ragna.

"Move!" Aqua shouted.

Ragna caught on right as the beast let loose, a chilling blizzard blew right at him and left behind a path of crystal spikes. Luckily, Ragna managed to dodge and landed on his back, seeing that his left hand and leg are frozen.

"Shit." Ragna summed up his situation with one word as he tries to break it with his free hand, cracking it as he slammed his fist.

The beast noticed his predicament and started to stalk towards its prey, only for be violently shocked by a Thundaga from Aqua. She then ran over and used Esuna on Ragna, making the ice melt away.

"Thanks." Ragna said as he got to his feet.

The two then heard the beast roar as the electricity danced along the spikes on its back. Next thing they didn't expect, it actually got into a ball and roll right for them at great speed. The two jumped out of the way as the spiky ball rolled, turning sharply back around before bouncing high in the air and uncurling itself in the process. Electricity danced down to its claws as the beast slammed into the ground, simultaneously creating a crater on impact and unleashing a massive shockwave, thunderbolts shooting out of the ground towards the two.

"Get behind me!" Aqua ordered, which Ragna agreed to as he hopped back.

She then conjured a big barrier in front of her, blocking the streams of lightning for a few moments, but long enough before the bolts faded away. The barrier disappeared soon after as Ragna spoke.

"OK, enough of the magic. It looks like whatever you send at him, it can fire right back with that same attack."

"I realized that too. I wonder, it had to have faced magic users before to gain an immunity like this." Aqua said.

"Either others were down here before us or they can get this over time."

The beast growled fiercely as it got on all fours.

"Anyways, lay off the magic. Let's do it my way this time." He suggested.

"All right. Lead the way." She agreed.

The two then ran side by side, the beast charging soon after and swung down its claws, the two dodging in response before Ragna slammed his fist into the knee, stunning it.

"Now!"

"On it!"

The two then performed a cross combo, going fluidly into each hit before ending with a powerful blow that knocked it back. The beast quickly retaliated with a spinning tackle, the two narrowly dodging it as it then continued to attack with acrobatics, making them block and dodge respectively. The beast then jumped from tree to tree, keeping the two on their guard before launching itself like a rocket right at them.

"Move!" Ragna pushed Aqua out of the way right before the beast got to them, grabbing him in his clawed hand and burying it into the ground upon landing.

Out of anger, she activated her Ghost Drive and used Prism Rain, the multicolored orbs homing in fast on the enemy. She realized her mistake, only to have good fortune this time as the beast screamed in pain, raising its buried fist and threw Ragna at her. She teleported in time to catch him, landing safely before tending to his wounds, using Curaga as he shook his head.

"All right, we're getting somewhere." He muttered.

"Yeah. I found out it's not immune to my light magic." Aqua mentioned.

"Light magic? And that didn't come up earlier because..."

"...I... uh..." Were the only words that she let out as she doesn't know herself, making Ragna sigh.

"Whatever, we still can win. Give me a chance to get close, I won't waste it." He ordered.

"Right." Aqua then teleported away, reappearing and firing another Prism Rain upon its target for Ragna to close the distance. The beast tried to dodge, but the majority still tracked and hit on point, damaging it as Ragna charged dark energy into his sword. Unleashing a powerful swing, the energy created a wave that smacked its face to the ground...

 _ **"CARNAGE-"**_

The blade channeled more energy as he dragged it across the ground for the follow up-

 _ **"SCISSORS!"**_

A massive blast of darkness-shaped spikes stabbed the beast, greatly damaging the chest as it roared in agony before the attack faded into red orbs and entering Ragna, healing himself in the process. The beast staggered back as Aqua teleported around it, firing the orbs up to three times before landing in front of Ragna.

"Get ready!" Aqua called out as she had light surrounding her body.

Ragna then finds himself captivated as she started spinning like a ballerina, firing Pearl shots that again tracked the target to further damage the beast, making it back up with each hit. As she spun, Ragna can't help but think that she had such grace with her movements before she finished her dance, the beast falling to its knees as the wounds were emitting a black aura.

"That definitely did the trick." Next thing she knew, she heard clapping and turned to see Ragna was the source. "Uh, what's that for?"

"That was quite the show you put on, couldn't help it." He answered as he walked over to her.

"N-no need for that. That's just how I fight." She shrugged off as the two heard a growl.

They saw the beast forcing itself up to continue, leaping for a desperate attack as Aqua summoned a barrier. As the beast punched the barrier, time slowed down to show the barrier glow white before a magical blast fired, destroying the entire arm and part of the head before the beast went flying.

"Whoa!" Ragna said in shock before their enemy fell on the ground, motionless as the remains faded away.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Remember the barrier from before? I used an advanced spell that stored the energy from the attack. When used again... you saw the result." She briefly explained as her keyblade disappeared.

Ragna placed his sword on his belt as he processed that new information, "That's very handy." Is all he said about it before they heard the red vines pull away to open the paths. "Now, which way?"

Aqua again saw her friends, standing at the middle path and quickly walked towards it. "This way."

"OK, I have a question." He spoke up, walking in front of Aqua to stop her.

"What is it?"

"Is this your first time in this forest?"

She was a bit confused, "Yeah, why?"

"Well, you're acting like you've went through here all your life. On top of that, you noticed something and follow it immediately. What are you seeing?"

Aqua blinked once, then twice at his words. Was she the only one seeing them all this time?

"You mean... you don't see them?"

"See who?"

"...My friends."

Ragna again processed that, "Again... you do know they're illusions? For all you know, this could lead us into more death traps."

"...I know."

Ragna was now the one confused, "You know?"

"Yes... But at this point, I don't care what happens. I miss them! Illusions? What if they're actually leading us out, telling me that I have something to hold on to!? That hope is keeping me going, I'll take down anything that'll stand between that!"

Ragna listened as she spoke, observing her actions. It's obvious to tell she's determined to see the end, no matter how it comes down to it. He only smirked in response as he turned towards the path ahead.

"If that's how you feel, then let's continue through this hellhole. It's better than nothing."

Aqua looked at him before smiling and walked past him, "Thanks."

"That and I'll be able to tell you so if you're wrong." He muttered.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Huh? I didn't say anything." He quickly lied as he walked ahead.

Aqua shrugged it off as the two walked on to reach the end.

 **DONE! All right, after a long break, I finally finished this chapter. So, we reached the enchanted forest to again chase illusions. However, it appears to be helpful as their guide through the thorns. We'll see where this goes.**

 **As for what I'm going for, it's already addressed in the story. I find it an interesting angle since she has been here for so long, her mind is definitely not untouched. I would be surprised that she hasn't gone mad, but in this series, going to hell is a normal visit to any world. Just that this has no clear exit.**

 **Battle theme**

 **Vs. The Anti-Elemental Beast: Hunter of the Dark (Great theme for a dweller of darkness)**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading and see ya next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 8: Under Hell Destruction

**Hey, fellow readers! Train still going, can't stop, won't stop! What do we have now?**

 **First, I wanted to show how Ragna cares about others without having it be too OOC, so I'm glad that I got that part down. Agreed about the fear part, seeing how the characters react to Ragna getting scared over a ghost or ghost-like enemy would be very funny.**

 **Second, Sora and Ragna in a match, I also agree Sora has the win. Having defensive spells like Reflect and evasive skills like Quick Run and Aerial Dodge, along with magic in general, Ragna is gonna have a hard time landing a hit, much less actually getting in melee distance. And that's excluding the drive forms.**

 **Third, that's a very good comparison right there. He's so used to being a lone wolf that he can easily forget that there are others around and he can't just hit it until it dies. I'm not sure if I showed it well enough in the previous chapter, but facing an opponent who has more tricks up their sleeve can catch him off guard on the first encounter. That and he needs to learn how to be a better team player.**

 **Fourth, that was what I was going for in the beginning. Glad you got that.**

 **Fifth, I just recently watched the trailers, so I was shocked at that and much more. I do hope they find a way to save her.**

 **Sixth, glad you like the interactions with them. I tried to make it believable, so that's good.**

 **Thanks for the feedback, let's keep it going!**

 **Chapter 8: Under Hell Destruction**

The two climbed up the rocky terrain to what seemed to be the exit after going through the path that was surprisingly uneventful, making them keep their guard up. As they exit, they see a large nest of the humanoids from earlier, surrounded by the thorns and a gigantic energy sphere up high above.

"What is that?" Ragna questioned.

"I don't know... but I don't want to know. Though, my guess is that's how they bring the worlds into the realm. We have to stop it." Aqua answered, summoning her keyblade.

"No arguing here." He agreed as the two ran to the source.

Despite it being their territory, the humanoids were docile, but dark spiky blobs came raining down upon them as they went through the path. They were able to dodge them easily due to their slow descent to the ground, soon finding themselves in a clearing to what looks like their leader.

The leader was easily towering over them, with increased muscle mass to even it out, reaching to almost double the height of the rest. It lets out a battle cry as the two got ready for battle. It was surprisingly faster than expected from a giant as it swung its fist down at the two, the pair dodging out of the way before Ragna hopped on the arm for a climb. While Ragna does that, Aqua let it rain Thundaga bolts upon the head area, the giant seeming to endure the attack as it paid attention to Ragna.

As he was running up the arm, the giant swiped his other hand at him, forcing Ragna to jump at the head instead for a quick attack before falling. He swung his sword straight at the face, knocking the head back as he fell to the ground, landing with a roll before continuing his assault. Aqua ceased her thunder spells earlier for Ragna's attack and ran around to the back for a more physical approach, double jumping to reach the head. The giant picked up on her and swung its arm, making Aqua quickly air dashing forward to avoid it. She spun with her keyblade pointing forward, launching at the head like a drill and got a dead on hit, flipping past it as the giant flew its head back in shock.

Ragna in the meantime was swinging his sword at the legs, damaging them to the point where the giant is forced to kneel from the pain. The two took the opportunity to climb on the back, only to be pushed off soon after as the giant straighten up in rage, energy forming in its heart shaped hole in the torso.

"Get back!" Aqua called out, warning Ragna.

Energy spheres came out from a burst, homing in on the two as Aqua shielded themselves with a barrier. This continued for a couple more times before the energy faded, the giant getting back to its feet as the barrier faded shortly after. Ragna rushed in as the giant attacked with a massive swing, dragging its fist across the ground straight at the enemy, only for Ragna to sidestep it and landing a quick slash in the process. As he distracted it, Aqua kept her distance and created a large fireball that then sent a swarm of smaller ones, damaging the giant little by little until she launched the big one, it exploding in the heart shaped hole.

The giant keeled over in pain, its knees hitting the ground as dark mist eroded from the aftermath. It then retaliated in anger, about to launch its other fist straight at Aqua only for the entire arm getting sliced off by Ragna. The arm fell to the ground as Ragna puts his sword, now in scythe form, on his shoulder.

"You're tough, but no diff-" Ragna gets cut off as the giant roared in pain, echoing throughout the area as one of the smaller humanoids started to fade into mist to then flow into the wound. In no time at all, the arm returned completely and swung back to knock Ragna off.

He landed on the ground as his scythe reverted to sword form, rolling back to his feet as Aqua made her way over, circling around the giant while firing Blizzaga spells to slow it down.

"Did you see that?" She asked once she made it over.

"Yeah, it used one of its own to regenerate the wound. Considering how many more there are, this can go way longer." He answered.

The two then heard the giant roar once more as it raised its claws toward the giant energy sphere above, making it rain energy beams down upon contact. They saw how erratic the beams were as Aqua puts up a barrier for protection.

"Great, I doubt we can go through unscathed." Ragna commented.

"Don't worry, leave it to me." Aqua reassured him as she activated GhostDrive.

Grabbing his left hand with her right, it channeled some of the energy into Ragna, temporarily entering GhostDrive as well.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

The two then teleported and performed a flurry of rushing thrusts in great synchronization, damaging the giant enough for it to lose focus, making the beams disappear.

"Let's finish this!"

"You're done!"

Aqua channeled light into her keyblade as Ragna channeled darkness into his sword, then teleported all over with strong stabs that leave an energy pike each time before rising into the air and impaled the head, the pikes exploding on impact. The remains faded away into mist and into Ragna's arm as the two landed, the energy disappearing as well. Though, they didn't expect the rest of the giants to fade as well and follow the mist.

"Wait, what's going on?" Aqua wondered.

"Must be because we took down the leader, they know our strength." Ragna guessed before he felt his arm going heavy. "T-This again?"

"You all right!?" She called out, worried as she quickly went to his side.

"Y-Yeah, I... just need to... release it." Ragna then fell to his knees as his arm became a claw.

Aqua heard this and remembered the sphere, "That should be more than enough for stopping the energy."

"...Right... Just gotta get close..."

"I got it." Aqua then grabbed his left hand as she boosted themselves to the orb using her magic, doubling it to go over it before throwing Ragna down at it. Prepared, he overcharged the claw with the aura he's overflowed with and unleashed the attack, cutting through the sphere like nothing. Aqua fell down after and slashed it just in case, landing next to Ragna who was on his knees panting.

Soon after, the orb started shrinking that caused a powerful vortex that tried to suck them in. The two tried their best to hold their ground before it stopped, exploding right after with enough force to knock them to the ground. The two were panting hard as they forced themselves up, only to find a dark portal under their feet that started pulling them in.

"Shit! Aqua!" He called out as he struggled, reaching out his hand to help her.

"Ragna!" She called out, also reaching her hand out.

The two hands almost connected before the portal took them in completely.

* * *

"Where... am I now?..."

Someone else has found himself in the Realm of Darkness, weakened by the atmosphere as he stumbled. He kept himself from falling as his knees buckled, breathing hard as he tries to shake off his exhaustion.

"How deep... does this place go..."

He sees his surroundings, rocky terrain with odd stones and crystals around the path as his feet continued walking. He then felt something warm as he looked up, seeing a glimmer of light surrounding a figure falling from above.

"Light... all the way down here?"

His question was answered as the light faded to show more details of the figure, a female who is also by a male one barely shown by the light. Fighting against his exhaustion, he jogged his way as fast as he could to catch the pair just in time. Luckily, he was able to hold them just long enough to give them a soft landing as he placed them on the ground.

"Finally, others to talk to. Well, I can think of a better place to be."

Another glimmer caught his attention, coming from the ground nearby. He then sees a blue star-shaped charm laying on the ground and picked it up.

"This looks familiar..."

He then hears portals open, with several creatures coming out that had a small humanoid body and long antennas.

"The light must have lured them." He said to himself as he puts the charm away and summoned his weapon.

The swarm came, attacking in numbers as he swung left and right, hitting hard enough to knock them back. The swarm tried going around him, only for the stranger to slide far enough to intercept, countering with a shockwave that took down a few. Unexpectedly, the swarm actually pulled back, rising up above to prepare a stronger assault. He attempted to stop it by firing a Dark Firaga, exploding with enough force to separate it into two halves, only for the halves to split up and come down at once.

The stranger then used a powerful spin attack, stopping the two swarms from colliding into him. He took down several more, along with scattering the rest as they fell on the ground.

"I doubt this is all you have to offer." The stranger taunted, only for the remaining creatures to go back together, launching itself straight at him.

The speed caught him by surprise, barely blocking it as he got knocked down, the swarm going sky high before plummeting down upon him. He was about to counterattack, only for a dark beast's head to crush it, eliminating the rest with its jaws before disappearing.

"Just one taunt and you're on the ground." The stranger sat up to look behind him, seeing the male awake and his sword drawn.

"I would have had them either way." He retorted, getting to his feet as the red coated man rolled his eyes in response.

"Anyways, thanks for covering us. We didn't think anyone else would be here." He said, putting his sword on his belt.

"Not by choice..." The stranger sighed to himself, his weapon disappearing in thin air.

"Of course. Name's Ragna, by the way."

"Ragna, huh? Nice to meet you..." The stranger held his hand out as he finished, "Name's Terra."

 **YEP, YEP! I did it! I brought Terra into this! I was thinking of going the illusion route like in the game, but I noticed similarities between him and Riku.**

 **1\. Both got their bodies taken.**

 **2\. Both has ties to darkness**

 **3\. Both seek redemption**

 **But what confused me is, why does Riku keep his body and get sent to the Realm of Darkness, yet Terra didn't? I understand he and Xehanort shared the same body and fought for control over it, but I'm talking about the separation. If Xehanort's heart was strong enough to be in ghost form in KH1, then what about Terra's heart? You could argue Xemnas has it or it somehow got back to the Lingering Will, but since there's no clear answer, here's what I'm doing.**

 **1\. The separation caused Terra's heart to be sent to the Realm of Darkness**

 **2\. His heart is strong enough to gain a body, but there are side effects to this**

 **3\. He's now closer to the darkness because of this situation, hence Dark Firaga and such**

 **So, here we are. This also helps me settle with an idea I was thinking of that I started with, the original point of the beginning which was Birth by Sleep. I originally left it alone because it allows for a simpler (and more returning) approach to this story. If I started there, I would have redone the ENTIRE story, no joke. The original timeline for how it goes makes no damn sense on their story routes. So, to avoid this as well as a headache and another possible dead story in my collection, here we are.**

 **Oh, and I know a bunch of people don't really like Terra for obvious reasons, but here's where my writing is put to the test. Here, Terra is at a point where he's atoning for his mistakes and has actually learned what led up to it, so he's seeking redemption. And don't worry, the Lingering Will is playing a role in his arc.**

 **So, I apologize for the length not being as long, but I wanted to put this out before the end of the month since I recently have other business to take care of first. So, thanks for reading and I'll see you next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 9: Echoes of the Past

**Welcome back, fellow readers! Here we go, the train still going! Let's see what we got now:**

 **ENDDRAGON369: I have a couple of ideas for the Black Beast, but that ain't until later.**

 **Atlas22: Isn't AU a rule saying the story has one or more laws changed from canon? So yes, but I'm somewhat mixing canon with ideas of mine. However, it isn't a complete game changer, I'm just altering how some rules work. Though, you did catch that.**

 **UltraNobody: I'm seriously flattered that you want a tropes page for this story. I'm honestly just writing to practice with ideas I wanna do in the future when I get into video game creating, so I'm glad you are enjoying it. Also dude, the longer the review, the more I wanna read it, but be sure to put in what you think of the chapter itself somewhere. I would love to hear feedback from reviewers like you.  
Anyways, that's a great plot point to mention, not only does he get stronger, but he does learn from previous battles. He also does lose because of handicaps sometimes, but still comes back to kick their ass later.  
Another great point, Nine and Sora are completely different people using magic, so fighting styles and even some spells are not the same. I mean Sora doesn't have a explosive X-Bomb or Nine having Reflega.  
You are right, that was mentioned more than one. First, I might have saw the wrong wiki (and it's been awhile since I been there) and second, I figured it's because of the fact that Ragna is in a different dimension, the Azure might not even be connected to his Grimoire, which is why I had it limp to show that it'll run on darkness here.  
Oh dude, if's that the case, them in Kingdom Hearts doing that stuff isn't out of place.  
**

 **Guest: That's actually something I was thinking about, he probably overcame that fear, but he might still feel uncomfortable around them at best.**

 **Hakuorofan7: No, it even said that the two were together when they fell from above.**

 **All right, let's continue!**

 **Chapter 9: Echoes of the Past**

 _Flashback, five years ago_

"It's so sad, honestly." An old man with yellow eyes, a white goatee and a bald head in clothes with a black coat.

He looks at his adversary, who was Terra, in pity as the young man glared at him.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"The simple fact that you cannot see outside this void. If you could, you would have seen the time pass, as well as the new knowledge I learned from our vessel's research." The old man answered with a smirk.

Curiosity entered Terra's mind, but the old man speaks what he was thinking about.

"The time has already been years since our battle, almost half a decade to be precise."

"Years..." Terra muttered to himself, astonished at the realization.

"And the new knowledge can help to achieve my goal. As of right now, the vessel is about to give up this body to separate between a Heartless and a Nobody. Though, you shouldn't worry. You'll finally be released from this prison, as your heart will drift away as mine will travel to where I desire."

"Wait, what are these heartless and nobodies you mentioned?" Terra was unfamiliar with those terms, so the old man decided to tell.

"A heartless is a creature created by the darkness in our hearts. As for the Nobody, it's a special case of when a strong willed person loses their heart, the shell left behind becomes its own entity. That is the basic idea of these discoveries."

Terra processed this new info, shaking his head as he hears the old man chuckle.

"You should already know what this means. My darkness has gain dominance in our struggle, you are only still here because of Eraqus's presence within your own heart. However, I doubt even he can help you where you're going. Such an obvious bluff you said before..."

"Xehanort... what do you have to gain from all of this!?" Terra yelled in anger.

The old man, now named Xehanort, held his hand out as he answered. "The fairy tale, the Keyblade War, I always wondered if such power such as Kingdom Hearts existed, and the only way is having the pieces of light and darkness that became the X-Blade fight to become the key to the grand land itself. Ever since, I wanted the answer to that question for so long, even if it costs me many lifetimes to obtain."

He tightened his hand into a fist as he continued, "No doubt that my separate selves will find ways to achieve this."

The two then felt themselves being pulled back, "And now, Terra, I believe this is where the door you mentioned is shown to the both of us."

"No, Xehanort. This will not end just yet, not until you pay for what you've done!" Terra shouted as the pull became stronger before he flew back, screaming one last time as Xehanort was pulled away with an evil smirk.

"XEHANORT!"

After their separation, Terra's heart found its way into the Realm of Darkness, where it was almost consumed, only for a bright light to shine and the body of Terra grew. He finds in shock, as well as amazement, in this.

"This power... was it Master's... or my own?" He looks at himself, placing his hand over his chest. He then sees his memories, of Master Eraqus as well as two others who he felt close to.

"I remember... I have a promise to keep."

 _Fast forward, Present time_

"So that's what I remember before wandering through here." Terra said, now walking with Ragna next to him who was carrying Aqua on his back.

"I see. That must have been annoying, getting stuck with a man who ruined your life for that long." Ragna said, making Terra sigh in response.

"Tell me about it..." He then noticed Aqua still sleeping, "So, is she all right?"

"Considering that she's been here longer than me and you combined, this is most likely the first time she actually got some rest." Ragna guessed. "Though, I wish she had different shoes. These are very sharp."

Terra chuckled a bit at that, "Well, they can be good if she kicks her enemies."

Ragna lets out a smirk in response, "Good point."

"Anyways, enough about me. I only know your name so far."

Ragna's smirk fell, "Uh, I'm not really very good at talking about myself."

"Well, let's start simple. Anything you like to do, like a hobby?"

Ragna thought about what he usually does, which was fighting mainly. But, even he has one or two things he can do well.

"...I like to cook."

"Wait, cooking? Really?"

Terra's response was expected, "Yeah. Problem?"

"No, just at a glance, you don't-"

"Look like a chef? Don't worry, you're not the first. Aside from training, my master taught me how to cook."

"You had a master too?"

"Uh huh."

Terra wondered about his own master, then looked at Ragna's weapon. "Tell me, was your master a keyblade wielder?"

"Didn't need one. He wielded two swords that can cut through anything."

Terra widened his eyes at that, "A-Anything? Weapons with that kind of power... he must be very skilled."

"Heh, try the "strongest being on the planet", even at his age when he was training me." Ragna bragged about with a smirk.

Terra was silent at that, then thought back at earlier when the beast head destroyed the swarm.

"Wait, that attack you used. It was made from darkness. Can your master wield darkness like that?"

"No, that... is kinda complicated." Ragna didn't feel like explaining the Grimoire a second time in a row.

Terra didn't press on that, but still was curious about Ragna's master. "Then tell me, do you think your master can train me?"

Ragna actually stopped in his tracks and turns towards him, "Why do you ask?" He wondered, out of curiosity mainly.

"Well, I always wanted to become stronger to protect others. Your master sounds like a legend, so just a session with him would be an honor."

Ragna couldn't help but feel a bit bad, since he doesn't know if his world can be reached anymore. However, remembering back to his past life made him feel a bit nostalgic now, strangely enough. Talking about the good is nice every now and again, even in a chaotic world that it was before.

"Tell ya what, if I can find him again, I'll see if he would. Though, I can't guarantee anything."

Something told him that it might be possible, if little to none, so he just puts it out there for Terra. However, the reaction was a bit more than expected as Terra flexed his arm in excitement.

"Yes! Thanks Ragna, I owe ya one." He said with a smile.

This was a bit weird to see as Ragna only saw his calm demeanor so far, but he's one to talk about judging a book by its cover. He then felt Aqua move a bit as she stirred, sounding like she was about to wake. Though, Terra decided to go behind the two, Ragna guessing that he wants to surprise her. He figured he played along as Aqua opened her eyes.

"Where... what happened?" She muttered.

"We survived." Ragna pointed out.

Aqua moved her head up, his spiky hair slightly touching her face as it kinda itched her nose, which made her lightly scratch it.

"Had a good nap?"

"I did actually. Thanks." She then sees her position, which made her have a hint of red in her cheeks. "Uh, mind putting me down?"

"Oh, sure." He crouched down for her to get off his back, standing back up as he moved his shoulders and cracked his neck a bit.

"I'm not heavy..." She muttered.

"You're not. I think you moved your head into my neck a bit." He said bluntly.

"...Oh." She simply responded back with.

"Anyways, you're thanking the wrong guy this time." He said as he turned around, "Let's just say... a friend helped out."

Aqua tilted her head in confusion before Ragna pointed behind her, which she slowly did to then see Terra. She stood there silently, Terra looking back before raising his hand.

"Hi."

Instantly, he was embraced in a hug as Aqua smiled. "You're real this time..." She whispered.

Terra smiled as well and returned the hug. Ragna simply watched the little reunion, only for a memory to surface as Aqua and Terra was replaced. Ragna appeared in Terra's place and a certain rabbit in Aqua's place was shown, making Ragna sigh a bit.

 _"Even here, I still wanna hear an insult every now and then."_ He thought before the memory faded.

The embrace lasted a bit longer before ending, Aqua breaking the silence as she spoke.

"It's been so long... I wanted to see you two again."

"We made a promise, didn't we?" Terra then pulled out the blue charm from before, handing it to Aqua. "We each have one, to symbolize our connection."

Aqua took it back as he then tried to find his own, only to come up empty. "M-my charm! I must have lost it when I was sent here."

"Don't worry, we'll find it when we get out of here." Aqua reassured him, which then gave her an idea.

"Ragna, would you mind if I made you a charm too?"

"A charm? What, to bring me good luck or something?" He wondered.

"Not exactly. I made these charms to resemble these star shaped fruit. They say that if more than one person eats it, they'll be a part of their lives forever. I used a spell to replicate that effect."

"Forever, huh?" Ragna thought about it, then lets out a breath he held a bit longer than usual before responding. "I don't see why not, as long as it matches my coat."

"You got it." Aqua agreed with as Terra spoke.

"Well, I think it's about time we kept going."

"Good point, we can catch up when we get back." Aqua agreed.

"Then let's go." Ragna said, leading the way.

The three of them walked on the path of lifeless stone, cracks emitting a strange blue glow as the light was dim at best to light the surroundings. The trio felt uneasy as the darkness was more hostile at their presence, creating shadows that stretched slowly across the terrain.

"The atmosphere is getting heavier..." Ragna noted.

"We noticed." Terra said, his eyes looking around.

Out of the corner of her eye, Aqua sees the thin shadows crawling against the stone solidifying into tendrils, and many more following behind them.

"We gotta go!" She warned.

Ragna and Terra looked at her before seeing what she sees, the three quickly running off as the tendrils slithered towards its prey. They sprinted across the rocky terrain, jumping up the ledges that went to higher ground as the tendrils were close behind with some going in the stone. The three then finds themselves barely avoiding sudden spikes piercing the rock under their feet before seeing a cliff up ahead.

"Hang on!" Aqua called out, grabbing the two by their hands as they closed in.

"And... Jump!"

The trio did it in synchronization, the tendrils launching upwards after them as Aqua activated her Doubleflight ability, reaching the top just as the spikes shoot past the ledge. The three spent no time stopping as they ran with the tendrils slithering fast across the ground.

"This thing's persistent!" Terra called out.

"I never would have guessed!" Ragna sarcastically responded back.

Suddenly, a portal appeared in their path as the tendrils were just behind their feet. Seeing no other option, they jumped into the portal right before it closed

* * *

The portal opened again in a different location from before, the trio falling out onto the ground before disappearing once more. Aqua found herself on top of the other two in a comedic way as she spoke.

"Are you guys all right?" She asked as she got up to her feet.

"More or less..." Ragna answered with a sigh.

"Same here." Terra answered as he got up to his feet, reaching a hand out for Ragna, which he accepted.

They then looked around as the sound of ocean waves reached their ears, the three soon noticing a shoreline complete with water hitting the sand.

"Where are we now?" Ragna wondered.

"At this point, it's just a guess." Aqua said in response.

The trio walked down to where the waves reached and simply sat down as they listened to the calm waters. The scenery is actually quite nice to see, with a nice moon letting out a light that reflected in the dark ocean. The three sat in silence for quite awhile before one of them broke it with a question.

"...Do you think this is the end?" Terra asked.

"The end?" Aqua repeated.

"Yeah, the edge of the realm. It feels so calm compared to earlier." Terra elaborated.

"No kidding. Such a sudden shift, feels kinda disjointed." Ragna agreed.

"Maybe because this is the deepest place there is?" Aqua guessed.

"Either way, we're safe for now..." Terra said as he laid back on his back.

Aqua rolled her eyes at his response as Ragna sighed, looking on at the ocean.

"So... what can you cook, Ragna?" Terra asked.

"You can cook!?" Aqua suddenly asked, grabbing Ragna's arm in excitement.

Ragna was put off by this, but still answered. "Y-Yeah, a bit."

"Like what?" Terra repeated, still questioning Aqua's sudden mood shift.

"Mainly meat dishes, like beef stew and stuff. Though, my favorite food is tentama udon." Ragna answered.

"What's that?" Aqua questioned, much to Ragna's shock.

"...Something I'm making when we get out." Ragna simply said in response, followed by his own question. "You cook too, Aqua?"

"Yeah, though I'm more into baking sweets." She answered.

"Sweets, huh? I don't mind one every now and again." Ragna shrugged.

"She spoils Ven with them..." Terra casually mentions, stretching his arms as he does.

"I don't spoil him, I just reward him when he's good." Aqua defended.

"It sounds like he's a kid." Ragna guessed.

"Not really, he's just the youngest between us. Though, he doesn't like being treated like one." Terra remembered. "What about you, Ragna?"

"I have two younger siblings, so I know the feeling of being the oldest." He answered.

"Really? Who are they?" Terra wondered.

"Jin and Saya. They're a handful, but I care about them a lot." Ragna answered.

Aqua already know Jin from the mirror world, but this is the first time she heard of Saya. Though, before she asked who Saya was, they noticed the water started to ripple. It started slowly, but soon got faster until a shining light showed itself. It started tiny, then grew bigger and bigger as it dimmed in brightness. The three couldn't believe their eyes as they got up to their feet. However, they then hear something coming in fast behind them. They look to see the swarm from earlier, now many more to make it look like an army.

"Oh, god damn it!" Ragna yelled out as the swarm scooped them up, pulling them along as the trio and the swarm entered the portal.

 **Woo! Finally finished. To be honest, I was stuck on doing yet another boss fight, but decided to scrap it mainly due to burnout. So, I figured that the three getting to know each other better to be a good point for a chapter. Also, this is to show what I will do when a major change is made, mainly with flashbacks to keep the pace from slowing down too much. So, what will happen next? Or rather, what just happened? Don't worry, all will be explained next chapter as to not have spoilers. So, after a long time of writing stories, I'm glad to finally say... I'll see you at the finale!**


	13. Epilogue: NE, AB

**Hey, fellow readers! It is finally time for the curtain call! While this story was short, it's mainly to set up what's to come in the future.**

 **Also, fun fact, if you add the chapters up including the outdated dream preview and the redone preview, you get a total of 13, which is one of this series' favorite numbers.**

 **Another fun fact, someone actually made a tropes page of this story. You'll find it in the Kingdom Hearts fanworks page in the fanfiction folder if you want to check it out.**

 **Now, let us escape to the light!**

 **Epilogue: Nightmare Ends, Adventure Begins**

"Kairi!"

The one who called out his friend's name is a young boy with spiky brown hair along with interesting attire that has big yellow shoes among other features. The boy looked on as a girl, now named Kairi, turned around with a sad face.

"Sora..."

Right after she said that, the door behind her flung open as a dark wind howled throughout the cave, sending her off her feet. The boy, now named Sora, reached out to grab her, only for her to disappear. He was confused, but only for a moment as he sees three adults fly out of the door with a swarm of dark creatures pushing them, him getting caught up as well out of the cave.

The four landed on the sand outside, the storm becoming stronger as the island breaks apart. Sora looked around to see what remained as the others got up to their feet, the swarm from earlier surrounding the floating land with a giant humanoid creature standing across from them.

"Oh come on! Can't catch a break!" The one in the red coat shouted.

"Not this world too!" The other man shouted as he sees what has happened.

"...Why?" The woman muttered to herself from the chaos.

"Who are you guys?!" Sora called out, getting their attention. The woman was the first to react, gasping upon seeing him.

"Wait, you're-"

"Look out!" The red coated man warned, making sure the others move out of a flying fist's path. The four got behind cover nearby a tree.

"OK, introductions. I'm Ragna, he's Terra, she's Aqua." The coated man, now named Ragna, said as he points to who's who.

"N-Name's Sora." Sora returned after a moment, "Do you know what's happening?"

"These creatures are no doubt here to destroy this world like the ones I saw in the Realm of Darkness." Aqua answered with, sadness in her voice.

"Right now, we got to try stopping this one from the same fate!" Terra stated.

"First, we need to split to deal with these monsters." Ragna said before turning to Sora, "Can you fight?"

"Yeah, with this." To the surprise of the trio, he actually summoned a keyblade to his hand! "I got it recently, but it proved to be effective against these guys."

"Good to know. You and Terra got the big guy, me and Aqua will handle the swarm." Ragna ordered.

Once everyone got their weapons ready, the four got out of cover and ran separately to their opponents as the giant saw them and swung its fist at the group. Terra held his ground to block the attack, the fist connecting with his keyblade, but not budging him a bit. Sora took the opportunity to jump on the arm, running up to the head as the humanoid tries to knock him off with its other hand. Cutting it close, Sora dived off the side to avoid the hand and slashed the shoulder before falling to the ground.

Terra takes the time during that to charge at the legs, delivering a small slashing combo before using a powerful spiral finish. The humanoid felt this, but only stumbled back as it retaliated with a palm strike, Terra jumping back to dodge as the impact made the ground shake.

Ragna and Aqua felt that as the swarm circled around the ruined island, only coming in for a quick flight pass them just out of slashing range. It tried to fly straight towards them, only for Aqua to have a charged up Fire spell at the ready, firing it dead on with an explosion on contact. It did damage, but the swarm powered through, only dropping a few of its own on the ground, which Ragna easily took care of.

"We gotta bring it closer!" He called out.

Aqua nodded and quickly climbed the tree to the top, firing off a Thunder spell to get the swarm's attention. It darted towards her, Aqua jumping when it closed the gap to hop on the enemy. The creatures tried to jump her as she ran on it, slashing the stray ones as Ragna ran up the tree to join. She then switched places with him, Ragna plunging his sword right into the swarm and dragging it along as he ran down it, reaching the end with Aqua on standby. Grabbing his hand, she used the momentum of her Doubleflight and threw him at the swarm at the peak as it came back around.

Stabbing on the landing, the swarm flew up high towards the giant sphere as Aqua unleashed her Prism Rain, damaging the ends as Ragna smirked after realizing where the swarm was heading. He then performed a short leap sideways after removing his sword to perform one of his signatures, Nightmare Edge. The colored orbs of light had reached at half the length of the swarm before ending by the time Ragna zoomed past with his sword, ripping the pillar of creatures in half. By the time he reached the tail, the remains of the swarm were too close for the sphere's gravitational range as it sucked the creatures in.

Ragna landed on the ground as Aqua came up, "You were cutting it close there."

"No kidding, any closer and I would have joined them." Ragna agreed.

The two checked on Terra and Sora, only to see them hardly breaking a sweat as the humanoid channeled energy in its hollow hole.

"Now!" Terra shouted.

The two charged in, slashing at the knees to disrupt the attack. The energy became unstable as the creature roared in pain, energy firing everywhere as the four tried their best to dodge and block the blasts. It then slammed its hands into the ground, the sand going flying in the air to make the four cover their eyes. The humanoid pulled, ripping out some energy in the form of a sphere in its palm. It then channeled more energy from its own being, making the four confused.

"What's it trying to do?" Ragna asked.

"My guess, it might be its last resort." Terra answered.

"Which leaves it open!" Sora called out, charging in.

"Wait, Sora!" Aqua warned, running after him.

However, Sora failed to notice the humanoid starting to fade as the sphere glowed more intensely.

"It's a suicide attack! Get out of there!" Ragna yelled out.

Upon hearing that, Sora realized that and tried running back, only to hear an explosion behind him. In slow motion, the shockwave knocked him off his feet as he got surrounded by a barrier, the others also getting a barrier protecting them as the explosion totaled the island. The debris getting sucked in with the four getting carried away up to the giant sphere above.

 **Battle Theme: Vs. Darkside and Demon Swarm: Night of Fate (Great song!)**

 **YES! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS! I FINALLY DID IT! I FINISHED ONE! ALL RIGHT!**

 ***clears throat* Sorry, got carried away there. Anyways, we hit the finale and here is where we ended at. Since we're here, I'll answer those questions.**

 **I honestly felt like I ran out of interesting ideas without having to use more of the game's story.**

 **I thought about how the heartless gets to a world from the Realm of Darkness, so my guess is that they open a portal near the edge that bridges the two sides, and that bridge is the Dark Margin.**

 **Since the original took place during KH1, I changed it to the beginning... because yes.**

 **Now, what am I gonna do with this? Well, that's for me to know and you guys to read! I'm transforming this into an official series, continuing with the next installment:**

 **Key of Light!**

 **So, I thank all of you for enjoying this story and hope you stick around for the sequel. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
